‘Aftershock’ Filmmaker Tonya Lewis Lee Signs With Artists First (EXCLUSIVE)

Matt Donnelly
·2 min read
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Tonya Lewis Lee, co-director and producer of the buzzy documentary “Aftershock,” has signed with Artists First.

Agency co-president Brian Dobbins will represent her as a producer, director, writer, entrepreneur and women’s health advocate. A storyteller whose work has resonated with marginalized communities for over two decades, Lee intends to expand her advocacy and offer Black and Brown communities access to platforms that will share overlooked and undervalued stories.

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“Aftershock” premiered in July on Hulu through the label Onyx Collective, a unit devoted to creators of color which was set up by Disney General Entertainment. It examined the maternal mortality crisis plaguing Black and Brown women in America, won the 2022 Sundance Film Festival special jury award for Impact for Change and is nominated for best documentary feature and best political documentary at this year’s Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.

Lee’s film and TV work spans from nonfiction to family-friendly features like the Hallmark Channel release “The Watsons Go to Birmingham,” and episodic series on Netflix including “She’s Gotta Have It” and “Monster.”

Lee is the author of three children’s books, including “Please, Baby, Please,” “Please, Puppy, Please,” and “Giant Steps to Change the World.” She’s also authored the mainstream fiction work “Gotham Diaries.” This November marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of “Please, Baby, Please,” which has sold over 1 million copies worldwide and inspired a Season 4 episode of ABC’s “Black-ish.”

Additionally, she is the founder of vitamin supplement brand Movita Organics, created in 2015 to foster better health outcomes for women and provide them with a high-quality resources and wellness.

Artists First is a management and production entity and boasts clients including Jordan Peele, Awkwafina, Kenya Barris, Tracee Ellis Ross, Niecy Nash, Will Arnett, Kate McKinnon and Jon M. Chu.

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