He also serves as Vice President and Co-Founder of FilmUSA, the national association of U.S. film commissions. Through FilmUSA, Tony works with film commissioners, studios, producers, the Motion Picture Association, government agencies, and industry stakeholders to strengthen the competitiveness of film production in the United States. His work focuses on expanding domestic production, improving workforce development, increasing international collaboration, and advocating for national policies that help keep film and television production in America.

Prior to returning full-time to filmmaking, Tony spent more than a decade leading two of the country’s most successful film commissions.

From 2014 through 2023, he served as Film Commissioner for St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida, overseeing the most successful period in the organization’s thirty-year history. During his tenure, the region averaged more productions than at any other point in its history, attracted eighteen feature films in a single year, developed one of Florida’s most successful regional production incentive programs, and earned recognition from MovieMaker Magazine as one of the “Top 25 Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker” for three consecutive years, all without the benefit of a statewide film incentive.

Tony later served as Film Commissioner for Dallas, Texas, where he secured outside investment supporting new soundstage development, expanded workforce initiatives, strengthened relationships with studios and producers, and increased Dallas’s visibility at major international film markets including Cannes and the European Film Market in Berlin. During his tenure, he also created and hosted The Dallas Film Podcast, producing more than 60 episodes featuring Academy Award winners and many of the entertainment industry’s leading producers, directors, actors, executives, and craftspeople, further elevating Dallas’s profile within the global film community.

Today, Tony’s primary focus has returned to producing and directing original films.

In 2026, he wrote and directed the supernatural adventure comedy Key of Bones: Curse of the Ghost Pirate, which was selected as one of only seven feature films showcased during the Fantastic Pavilion Gala Screenings at the Cannes Film Festival. Remarkably, the film moved from completed screenplay to its Cannes premiere in just seven months, demonstrating Tony’s ability to combine creative development with disciplined execution while assembling an experienced team capable of delivering on an ambitious timeline.

Throughout his producing career, Tony has developed projects distributed theatrically, through streaming platforms, and internationally. His producing credits include feature films distributed by Lionsgate, the Amazon Prime Video original series Life’s Rewards, award-winning documentaries, branded entertainment, television programming, commercials, digital media projects, and educational content. As a writer, his projects include the Terminal Kill graphic novel series, feature screenplays, documentaries, and original intellectual property currently in development.

Beyond his own productions, Tony has become widely recognized as an industry strategist and connector. He works with filmmakers, investors, distributors, sales agents, tourism organizations, film commissions, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to help projects move efficiently from development through production and ultimately into the marketplace. His ability to understand both the creative and commercial realities of filmmaking has made him a trusted advisor across multiple sectors of the entertainment industry.

Tony is also an accomplished educator and public speaker. He has taught film at the university level, developed workforce initiatives in multiple states, and presented more than one hundred workshops, masterclasses, and conference sessions throughout the United States and internationally. He is a frequent speaker, moderator, and panelist at film festivals, universities, and industry conferences, sharing practical insight into producing, directing, financing, film commissions, festivals, independent filmmaking, and the rapidly evolving entertainment landscape.

Each year, Tony maintains an active presence at many of the world’s leading film festivals and markets, including Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, Sundance, SXSW, and the American Film Market, where he continues building relationships that connect filmmakers, investors, distributors, exhibitors, and production partners from around the world.

Whether producing a feature film, directing a new project, advising an organization, leading a film festival, or advocating for the future of American filmmaking, Tony approaches every opportunity with the same philosophy: bring the right people together, solve problems creatively, and execute with purpose.