Bio / Resume

Languages: Italian (mother tongue), English (fluent), French (fluent), Spanish (basic notions)
Born: January 12th, 1976
Nationality: Swiss

Based in Los Angeles USA  and Lausanne Switzerland

Biography

 
Pietro was born in 1976, in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland.
In 1997 he moved to the USA to attend the film program at the Maine Film and TV Workshop in Rockport, Maine. In 1998 he started his professional experience as camera assistant, he trained on steadicam and he started shooting shorts films.
In 2000 Pietro was accepted at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles where he earned his Master Degree in Cinematography in 2002. Since then Pietro has been shooting  features, commercials, shorts, documentaries, music videos, on all formats available and at the four corners of the world, from the States, to Europe, to India. All this experiences gave Pietro a wide vision of different cultures and ways of making movies, and he got used to many ways of working that enable him to adapt very easily to all directors, situations and problems.
 
He has experience on all formats (Alexa, 5 or 7D , Red, 16mm, 35mm, hdv,…). He has some aerial and some underwater photography experience.
 
In his short career Pietro's won several Awards (Nominated for best cinematography at the Swiss Academy Awards, best cinematography at the British indipendent film fest, best cinematography at the Biif in Italy, bests Cinematography at Cinespana in Toulouse, two Kodak Awards, one Award for Best Cinematography at the Saiff in NY,  one Award for Best Cinematography at the Hollywood Student Film Festival,  a nomination for Best Cinematography at the  Int. American Film Festival, one nomination at the Dv Hollywood Film festival and a special mention from the American Society of Cinematographers for Outstanding Student Cinematography for his theses at the AFI). The film and documentaries he shot got a World wide success in over 100 Film Festivals winning Awards all over the globe (Australia, Europe, Asia, South America and North America).
 
Pietro devides his time between Los Angeles and the French part of Switzerland and he still works in different countries all over the world.
 
 

Filmography

CH = Switzerland

Narrative

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2013 Fuori Mira Alexa Erik Bernasconi Merano, Italy, CH
2013 Oro Verde Alexa Mohamed Soudani Lugano, CH
2012 Zaphir Springs Epic Marita Grabiak Los Angeles, USA
2012 High School Hollyday Reunion Alexa Marita Grabiak Los Angeles, USA
2011 È Mio Alexa Erik Bernasconi Lugano, CH
2011 Tutti giù Alexa Nicolò Castelli Lugano, CH

- Nominated for Best Cinematography from the Swiss Academy Awards, Quartz
- Official selection at the Montreal Int. Film Festival Canada
- Official selection at Locarno International Film Festival, Locarno,  CH

2011 Finding Joy RED Carlo De Rosa Miami, USA
2011 Der Fisch 5D Shari Marcacci Los Angeles, USA
2010 Jump RED Bindu de Stoppani London, GB - Zürich, CH
2009 Lionel XDcamhd Moamhed Soudani Lugano, CH
2009 Sinestesia S16mm Erik Bernasconi Bellinzona, CH

- Nominated for 3 Quartz , Swiss Academy Awards CH
- Best Cinematography at Baff, Italy
- Official selection at the Montreal Int. Film Festival Canada
- Official Selection at Cinequest, San Jose, CA USA
- Official Selection at Int Film Fest Durazzo Albania

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2008 Lo Mas Importante S16mm OLAPAMA Geneva, CH - Barcellona, ES

- Best Cinematography at “Cinespana” Film Festival , Toulouse France
- Official selection at “Mill Valley Film Festival” USA
- Official selection at  “Sitges Int. Film Festival” Spain

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2007 Lucky red Seeds S35mm Anjaly Menon Bombay, India

- Best Cinematography at the SAIFF, NY, USA
- Best Malyalam film at the “IFFK” festival, Kerala India

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2007 Larsen HDcam Carlo De Rosa Montreaux, CH

- Nominated for Best Cinematography at the American Int. Film Fest, USA
- Best short at the "Beverly Hills Film Festival" USA
- Official selection “Cinema tout Ecràn” Geneva, CH
- Official Selection at Winthertur Film Festival, CH
- Official selection at “Videoimage” Vevey CH

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2007 Dirty Money - L'Infiltré HDcam Dominique Othenin Girard CH, Canada, France

- Quartz Award winner, (Swiss Academy Award) CH

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2006 L'Ombre d'un Feu XDcamHD Mikael Roost Geneva, CH
2006 Motion Accident HDV Corinne Stübi Lausanne, CH
2006 La Valise HDcam Kaveh Bakhtiari Vevey, CH

- Kodak Award "best swiss short¨at Cinema tout Ecran, Geneva, CH
- Public Award at the Kurzfilmwoche, Regensbourg, Germany
- Official selection at the Cork International film festival, Ireland
- Official selection at the Sydney International Film Festival, Australia
- Official selection at the Trieste International Film Festival, Italy
- Official selection at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, USA
- Official selection at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, UK
- Official selection at the  Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival,   France

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2006 961 HDcam Valantin Rotelli Geneva, CH

- Nominated  for best cinematography at the Hollywood DV Film Festival, USA
- Award for best romance short at the Hollywood DV Film Festival, 2007,USA
- Official selection at the Santa Cruz International Film Festival, USA
- Official selection at the Puerto Rico International short Film Festival Puerto    Rico
- Official selection at the San Giò Video Festival, Italy

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2005 Jo Lido DVcam Francesco Joist Ravenna, Italy

- Official selection at Locarno International Film Festival, Locarno,  CH

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2005 Tani 35mm Vishnu Savarana Madras, India
2004 Gayab 35mm Pravaal Raman Bombay, India
2004 Chatterton DVcam Reto Bieri Geneva, CH
2002 Razorback 35mm Michael Greenspan Los Angeles, USA

- Won Best Cinematography Kodak Award at Houston World fest USA
- Special Mention for outstanding student Cinematography  from  the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). USA
- Best Cinematography, International Hollywood Student Film Festival, USA
- Audience Choice Award, Temecula Valley International Film Festival, USA
- Best Narrative  Short, 3rd Prize Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival,USA
- Shoestring Award, Rochester International Film Festival, USA
- Nominated for Best Children Production and Best Male Performance, Austin Stout, Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival, 2003 USA
- Nominated for Best Short Film, Grinnell College Student Film Festival, USA
- Official Selection Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, USA
- Official Selection Milwaukee International Film Festival, USA
- Official Selection St. Louis International Film Festival, USA
- Official Selection Newport Beach International Film Festival, USA
- Official Selection Pacific Palisades Film Festival, USA
- Official Selection Seh Suchte International Student Film Festival,
- Official Selection Flicker Film Festival,

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2001 Beauty DVcam Troy Ransome Los Angeles, USA
2001 A Man walks into... DVcam Tim de Ridder Los Angeles, USA
2000 Stranded DVcam Michael Greenspan Los Angeles, USA
2000 The Exchange 35mm Alison Laslett Maine, USA
1999 Good Intention Die 16mm Yan Latour Maine, USA
1999 The Painting 16mm Tough Latour Maine, USA
1998 Lonely 16mm Alison Laslett Maine, USA
1998 Chemical 16mm Paulo Belem Maine, USA
1997 Dirty Epic 16mm Erik Nivson Maine, USA

Commercials

Year Title Format Director/Prod City / Country
2013 Ragusa Alexa Niccolò Castelli By Hearth Lugano, CH
2012 Nibbit Alexa Hein Mevissen Brickyardfilms Los Angeles, USA
2011 Corum RED Olivier Pictect Freestudios Geneva, CH
2011 Ragusa Alexa Alberto Meroni By Hearth Zürich, CH
2011 Lotterie Romande RED Olivier Pictect Freestudios Geneva, CH
2011 Chopard F3 Olivier Pictect Freestudios Geneva, CH
2010 Police de Genève 7D Mauren Brodbeck Compactlab Geneva, CH
2010 Garnier de l'Oreal RED Olivier Pictect Freestudios Geneva, CH
2010 AMC 7D David Chedlow Freestudios Geneva, CH
2009 AMC 5D David Chedlow Freestudios Geneva, CH
2008 Crédit Agricole HD Pascal Girardin Freestudios Geneva, CH
2008 Unige HDV Mikael Rosseau Freestudios Geneva, CH
2008 Darty Viper Fabio di Luca Freestudios Geneva, CH
2008 Bernard Nicod RED Fabio di Luca Freestudios Geneva, CH
2008 Le Parfait RED David Tessier Freestudios Geneva, CH
2008 Naxoo Viper Kris Debussher Freestudios Geneva, CH

Music Videos

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2011 Jeremy Buck 5D Carlo De Rosa Los Angeles, USA
2003 Creeters Jones 16mm Sammy Wong Los Angeles, USA

Documentaries

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2006 Pedra, a Reporter without Borders HDV Villi Hermann Lugano, CH

- Official selection at the Trieste International Film Festival,  Italy
- Official selection at the Anchorage Film Festival   USA
- Officia selection at the Mostra International del Cinema Sau Paulo, Brasil
- Official selection at the Rhode Island International Film Festival,  USA

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2006 Pa' que tu me llama... HDV Ivan Nurchis Ligornetto, CH
2004 "Nocaut" Boxe in Cuba Operator Ivan Nurchis Ligornetto, CH

- Official selection and Award Winning at Locarno International Film Festival,CH
- Official selection at the Pärnu International Documentary Film Festival Estonia

TV

Year Title Format Director City / Country
2001 La Minute du Kiosque (pilot) DV Léo Maillard Lausanne, CH

Teaching

Year School City / Country
2006 / 07 / 08 Cinematography Workshop - SUPSI (Professional University Ticino) Lugano, CH
1998 / 99 Teaching Assistant for the Resident Program at the Maine Film Workshop Maine, USA

 
Film related studies

Year School City / Country
2000 - 2003 Master cinematography program at the American film Institute Los Angeles, USA
1998 Camera Assistant Workshop, Maine film Workshop Maine, USA
1997 / 98 Resident Program at the Maine Film workshop Maine, USA

 
Member of:
SSFV, Swiss film Union
Suissimage, Swiss Authors Association
Fonction Cinema, Genève