Draft:Chezik Tsunoda
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Chezik Tsunoda | |
|---|---|
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Known for | Drowning in Silence (2022) Under A Million Stars (2026) Founder of No More Under |
| Spouse | Kudo Tsunoda |
| Children | 4 |
| Website | cheziktsunoda |
Chezik Tsunoda is an American documentary film director and producer based in Mercer Island, Washington.[1] She is the founder of the production company Visually Inspired Productions and the water safety non-profit No More Under, and is best known for directing the 2022 documentary film Drowning in Silence.[2][3]
Early career
[edit]Tsunoda began her television career at BET and MTV News and Docs in New York City, where she worked as a music journalist and segment producer.[3][1][4] She later became a development producer at VH1, working on documentary series, before holding additional positions at HBO and the advertising firm Digital Kitchen.[3][5] After roughly a decade in television, she moved into commercial production.[5] Early producer credits include the 2012 feature You're Nobody 'til Somebody Kills You, on which she was credited as Chezik Walker.[6]
Drowning in Silence
[edit]On August 18, 2018, Tsunoda's three-year-old son Yori drowned in a friend's backyard pool in Bellevue, Washington.[7][2] About a year later, drawing on her television background, she began work on her debut feature documentary, Drowning in Silence, which documents her personal grief alongside the broader epidemic of childhood drowning in the United States and the racial disparities in swimming access.[8][4]
The 81-minute film, co-written with Claire Ave'Lallemant and executive produced by actor Hill Harper and Joe Beshenkovsky, was an official selection of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in March 2022.[9][10] It also screened at the American Black Film Festival in June 2022 and won the Audience Award for Feature Documentary at the Brooklyn Film Festival.[11] In May 2023, Freestyle Digital Media, the digital distribution arm of Byron Allen's Allen Media Group, acquired the film for home video and digital release.[12]
Under A Million Stars
[edit]Tsunoda's second feature documentary, Under A Million Stars, examines homelessness in Seattle through the lives of two unhoused and recently housed residents.[13][1] The 77-minute film had its world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) on May 9, 2026.[14] Production was supported by a 2025 SIFF Grant for Courageous Documentary Filmmaking, funded by the Satterberg Foundation.[1]
In May 2026, Tsunoda was announced as the recipient of the Cascade PBS Origins documentary grant. With her company Visually Inspired Productions, she will direct a five-part docuseries titled The Sound of Black Seattle, tracing the history of Black life in the Pacific Northwest through music, scheduled for release in March 2027.[15]
Advocacy
[edit]No More Under
[edit]About a year after her son's death, Tsunoda founded No More Under, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to drowning prevention, water safety education, and equitable access to swimming lessons.[2][7] The organization partners with YMCAs, University of Puget Sound and municipal pools to provide free swimming lessons in underserved communities and operates the free Water Watcher mobile application.[16][17]
Yori's Law
[edit]In 2023, Tsunoda worked with Washington State Representative April Berg to pass House Bill 1750, known as "Yori's Law," which designates May 15 as Washington's annual Water Safety Day.[18][19] The bill was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee in April 2023.[20] Tsunoda has also served on the board of the Seattle-based parenting organization PEPS.[21]
Personal life
[edit]Tsunoda lives on Mercer Island with her husband Kudo Tsunoda and their three surviving sons.[1][7] In addition to her films, she is the author of Sora's Sorrow, a children's book intended to help young readers cope with the loss of a sibling.[22]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | You're Nobody 'til Somebody Kills You | Associate producer | Credited as Chezik Walker |
| 2022 | Drowning in Silence | Director, writer, producer | Directorial debut |
| 2026 | Under A Million Stars | Director, producer | SIFF world premiere |
| 2027 | The Sound of Black Seattle | Director | Docuseries; Cascade PBS |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "SIFF reviews: "Under A Million Stars," directed by Mercer Island's Chezik Tsunoda". Federal Way Mirror. May 11, 2026.
- ^ a b c "Son's drowning death leads to Seattle mom starting nonprofit to promote water safety". ABC News. July 9, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Chezik Tsunoda – Directors". Film Fatales. January 18, 2024.
- ^ a b "Chezik Tsunoda, Mother of Drowning Victim, Turns Pain Into Powerful Documentary". BET. May 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "Meet Chezik Tsunoda". CanvasRebel Magazine. June 6, 2024.
- ^ "You're Nobody 'til Somebody Kills You (2012) – Full cast & crew". IMDb.
- ^ a b c "No More Under: The story, the film, the cause". Reflections Magazine (Bellevue Club). August 31, 2022.
- ^ "My three-year-old drowned in a pool with adults all around". Today's Parent. June 16, 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 9, 2022). "Santa Barbara Film Festival 2022 Lineup – Full List of Movies". Deadline.
- ^ "2022 Official Selections" (PDF). American Black Film Festival.
- ^ "Festival Winners". Brooklyn Film Festival.
- ^ "Freestyle Digital Media acquires 'Drowning in Silence' documentary, set for Friday release". TheGrio. May 11, 2023.
- ^ "Director Chezik Tsunoda explores the many faces of Seattle homelessness in Under A Million Stars". Patch. May 5, 2026.
- ^ "Under a Million Stars". Seattle International Film Festival.
- ^ "Winner of Origins filmmaking grant announced at SIFF closing night". Cascade PBS. May 20, 2026.
- ^ "No More Under aimed at water safety". Seattle's Child. July 1, 2024.
- ^ "'We're saving lives.' UPS alumni, students unite to provide free swim lessons". The News Tribune. April 14, 2026.
- ^ "Mother of drowning victim brings change to state water safety with 'Yori's Law'". KING 5. May 15, 2023.
- ^ "How to stay safe on the water as WA heat wave approaches". The Seattle Times. May 14, 2023.
- ^ Pailthorp, Bellamy (May 13, 2024). "One woman's tragedy propels statewide campaign on water safety for kids". KNKX.
- ^ "Our Mission: Save Lives". PEPS. August 6, 2020.
- ^ "Chezik Tsunoda". cheziktsunoda.com.