Marquis Simmons

Marquis Simmons is an Emmy Award-winning producer and multi-award-winning director from Chicago whose emotionally resonant, cinematic style has earned international recognition, including back-to-back Emmy Award recognition as a producer and a Cannes Shorts Film Festival Best Editing win for his directorial work. Raised inside Studio M Recording in Waukegan, IL, he grew up alongside musical icons, cultivating his instinct for rhythm and performance and storytelling long before ever picking up a camera. At 21, he transferred from Arizona State University to Columbia College Chicago, where he immediately began directing music videos for students and local acts - including Hanna Ashbrook (The Voice Season 7), Tina Crawley, Sicko Mobb, and Jeremih - and while at Columbia he created a mockumentary series that aired on CAN-TV. Across his career, Simmons has earned international recognition for his emotionally resonant storytelling and cinematic visual style, amassing more than 100+ awards and honors on the global festival circuit. His work spans narrative film, documentaries, television, and more than 60 independently directed music videos across genres including Hip-Hop, R&B, Jazz, Neo-Soul, Gospel, and Heavy Metal. Through visually immersive work, he blends intimate character-driven stories with profound social and human themes.