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
Pietro was born in 1976, in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland.
During 1997 he moved to the USA to attend a 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 is accepted at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles where he earned his Master Degree in Cinematography in 2002. In 2003 he was called from India to shoot his first feature film and during the next few years he shot 3 films around the country. Since then Pietro has been shooting features, commercials, shorts, documentaries, music videos, on all formats available and at the 4 corners of the world, from the United States, to Europe, to India. All this experiences gave Pietro a wide vision of all those different cultures and ways of making movies, he got use to many ways of working that enable him to adapt very easily to all directors, projects and situations.
In his career Pietro's got few Awards and nominations (Nomination for Best Cinematography from the Swiss Academy 2013, Bests Cinematography at cinespana in Toulouse, two Kodak Awards, Best cinematography at the British Indipendend Film Festival, Best Cinematography at the Saiff in NY, Best Cinematography at the Hollywood Student Film Festival, a nomination for Best Cinematography at the Int. American Film Festival, a 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 films and documentaries he shot got a world wide success in hundreds of Film Festivals winning Awards all over the globe (Australia, Europe, Asia, South America and North America).
Pietro is also member of the European film Academy and the Swiss Film Academy.
Now he’s based in Los Angeles and in Switzerland, he still works in different countries all over the world.
CH = Switzerland
Narrative
| Year | Title | Format | Director | Prod / Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Desert | Alexa | Frederic Choffat | Intermezzo Film, CH, USA |
| 2017 | Boomerang | Alexa | Nicole Borgeat | Alva Film, CH |
| 2016 | Reality High | F5 | Fernando Lebrija | Netflix, USA |
| 2015 | Scorpion | Alexa | Anup Singh | Visher's Prod. CH, France, India |
| 2015 | Le Temps d'Anna | Alexa | Greg Zinkly | CAB prod, CH |
| 2014 | Babysitter Black Book | F3 | Lee Frilander | Johnson Prod, USA |
| 2014 | HorizonVille (mini series) | Alexa | Pierre Idrien Irllé | Jump Cut Prod, CH |
| 2013 | Sundown | Alexa | Fernando Lebrija | USA, Mexico |
| 2013 | Fuori Mira | Alexa | Erik Bernasconi | Ventura Films, Italy, CH |
| 2013 | Oro Verde | Alexa | Mohamed Soudani | Amka, CH |
| 2012 | Zaphir Springs | Epic | Marita Grabiak | Johnson Prod, USA |
| 2012 | High School Hollyday Reunion | Alexa | Marita Grabiak | Johnson Prod, USA |
| 2011 | È Mio | Alexa | Erik Bernasconi | Cinedokke, CH |
| 2011 | Tutti giù | Alexa | Nicolò Castelli | Imago film, 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 | Kreate Films, USA |
| 2011 | Der Fisch | 5D | Shari Marcacci | USA |
| 2010 | Jump | RED | Bindu de Stoppani | Hugo Film, GB, CH |
| 2009 | Lionel | XDcamhd | Moamhed Soudani | Amka prod. CH |
| 2009 | Sinestesia | S16mm | Erik Bernasconi | Imago prod. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Conforama | Alexa | David Tessier Freestudios | Geneva, Switzerland |
| 2014 | Arcobaleno | Alexa | Pietro Zuercher Cinedokké | Lugano, Switzerland |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Beyond the Bolex | Varius | Alyssa Bosley | USA/CH |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012/13/14 | Trough the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman | Alexa | James Younger | Los Angeles, USA |
| 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:
European Film Academy
Swiss Film Academy
SSFV, Swiss film Union
Suissimage, Swiss Authors Association