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Playground Rebels, an up and coming independent American film and television production company, develops, directs, and produces, compelling, thought-provoking films and television series for audiences of all types.
Founded by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Marquis Simmons and Tony Chatman, Playground Rebels was started with the idea of bringing hidden and untold stories to the screen. Playground Rebels has found early success with the Tasmanian Devil in 2021 and Broke Down Drone in 2022. Both films have garnered substantial awards as well as critical acclaim. In 2024 they completed the documentary Freedom Shred: A Juneteenth Declaration.
Creative and Diverse Marquis is skillful at resonating and connecting with a broad audience. Immersive and visually compelling, Marquis knows how to connect with viewers by tapping into the innermost layers of their hearts. His true talent lies in his astute ability to imply relevant cultural and geographical history throughout his films, giving his characters and subject matter an overall richness of depth and credence with a meaningful purpose. Marquis has mastered this layered approach. His work has a certain uniqueness and signature quality that sets him apart from the rest as a truly talented filmmaker.
As a TEDx speaker, musician, author and filmmaker, Tony Chatman is a life-long creative.
Tony has enjoyed an eclectic career, first as a chemical engineer, then working in non-profit, then as stock broker and finally as an independent film producer and distributor.
After becoming only the second African American to ever receive a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University’s prestigious Paper Science and Technology School, Tony worked for a number of years as a chemical engineer for a Fortune 500 company. After the completion of his first patent, he moved into the faith based non-profit sector with the desire to make an impact on the communities around him. He served as a regional director until he ventured out as a consultant and keynote speaker.
Tony continues to leave an indelible mark on people around the world. World famous motivational speaker Les Brown recently described Tony as “a goldmine” and “brilliant. Tony has given 1,000 speeches and workshops to diverse audiences ranging around the world.
In addition to being one of the first four people in the world certified in “Method Teaming”, a metrics driven methodology for creating and operating influential, purpose-built teams, Tony has extensive knowledge of a variety of psychometric instruments critical in understanding human behavior. Tony has worked with hundreds of corporations and government agencies including the U.S. Secret Service, The Department of Homeland Security, Chase Bank, Estée Lauder, N.A.S.A., and Jefferson Health to help people reach new heights of effectiveness by understanding themselves and others better. As a leadership keynote speaker, his passion is contagious, and his messages provide practical, usable knowledge that people implement immediately for business and personal success.
In 2017, Tony completed his first book: The Force Multiplier: How to Lead Teams Where Everyone Wins and in 2018 he delivered his first TEDx talk – How to Stop Settling for Less.
In 2021, Tony teamed up with Marquis Simmons to create Playground Rebels
