Peter Perenyi

Peter Perenyi's output is passionate, daringly versatile, and always impressive in its originality. He's always been an idea-guy with the ability to execute his visual ideas for the multi-faceted film industry. Born and raised in (and having defected from) Budapest, Hungary, he originally started his media career at the Heilbronner Theater in the late 70s as a lighting technician in the ex-West Germany. Then, in the early 80s, he transitioned from stage to screen by becoming a film student (Cinematography Strand at North Sydney Technical College, editing major) and as a commercial actor in Sydney, Australia. His sensitive approach allowed him to gain popularity Down Under as an upcoming talent, featuring onscreen in many nationally broadcast, award-winning ads, mostly for McCann Erickson. After six years in Australia, despite much success in acting, he still couldn't find his calling there and moved to Toronto, Canada. There, he worked his way up from production assistant to behind the camera on big-budget national commercials, for brands such as Yokohama, Cadillac, Molson Dry, etc.

After a chance meeting with his future wife, he gave up everything again for the fourth time, and finally settled into New York in 1991, where he first made his living on medical translations from English to Hungarian. And the other way around, he translated three major-budget Hungarian films to English, also simultaneously becoming post production technical associate on a thirteen-part TV documentary series "American Cinema" (hosted by John Lithgow) for PBS.

Now Peter has nearly four decades of directing, camera, lighting, producing, writing, and editing experience under his belt. He has continuously lit and shot over 150 highest-profile executive interviews throughout the 21st century, mostly within the confines of the New York Federal Reserve Bank. And in recent years, he worked as camera operator on "StarTalk w/ Neil DeGrasse Tyson", a television series on (and by) National Geographic. During Peter's 26-episode run there, under the direction of Jaron Berman, the series was Emmy-nominated for three consecutive years and had such prestigious guests as Buzz Aldrin, David Byrne, Herbie Hancock, Jeremy Irons, Bill Clinton, and the list goes on.

Peter has always led with unparalleled age-defying energy, focus, integrity, and quality. And he's not done yet. In fact, his star is on the rise. In the past six years, his directorial and cinematography work has led him to significant film fest recognition, on account of all the different festival laurels (36 and counting) and wins (8 and counting, in various categories). When Peter isn't shooting, he is either writing, consulting for scripts, painting, or composing music with a message for the world.