Biography

Pete Zhao is a filmmaker, composer, and educator whose work bridges film, music, and cross-cultural artistic practice.

Originally trained in music composition, Zhao earned his degree through Berklee College of Music and later pursued an MFA in Film Production at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. His films have screened at festivals including the Oscar-qualifying LA Shorts International Film Festival and the Brooklyn Film Festival.

As a composer and music director, Zhao has worked across film, television, live performance, and music production. His work has been recognized by international film and music festivals and spans independent cinema, concert music, and multimedia storytelling.

Zhao has also served as a guest lecturer at Dartmouth College, speaking on music, popular culture, and cross-cultural artistic studies.

Working across filmmaking, composition, and education, his practice explores communication between filmmakers and composers, as well as the relationship between music, storytelling, performance, and visual language.
- IMDb mini biography by: Pete Zhao