Peter Salmon (filmmaker)

Production still from Peter Salmon's shortfilm, 'Playing Possum'. Starring Tamsin Worts. Photo: Michael Salmon.

Production still from Peter Salmon's shortfilm, 'Fog'. Starring Joe Dekkers Reihana and Chelsie Crawford Preston.

Peter Salmon was born 9 February 1976 in Auckland, New Zealand. He is a New Zealand based film and television writer/director.

Salmon has directed many successful short films since graduating from film school in 1996.

Career

Salmon's first 35 mm short film Playing Possum was made in association with Creative New Zealand in 1998. It screened in competition at Clermont Ferrand, Edinburgh Film Festival and Valladolid International Film Festival. It also screened at Telluride Film Festival, Rotterdam, New York Children's Festival, Mill Valley, Hof, Brisbane and L'etrange (where it won the Grand Prix and audience awards) to name but a few.^[1]

His next short film, a science fiction drama, Letters about the Weather, starring Sara Wiseman (winner of best performance in a short film (NZ film awards 2000 ^[2])). The film was made with funding from the New Zealand Film Commission in 1999. It screened in competition in Clermont Ferrand (where it received an Ecumenical Jury Special Mention ^[3]) and Puchon Fantastic in Korea. It also screened in Telluride Film Festival, Cannes Forum and San Tropez.

His short film Fog was made in 2007 with Maxim Films and the New Zealand Film Commission on location in Ngawi, New Zealand. It stars Chelsie Preston Crayford (winner of best performance in a short film (NZ film awards 2007^[4])). 'Fog' premiered in Cannes Critics Week in 2007. It has since screened in Melbourne, New Zealand and Stockholm.

Salmon's latest short film The Box set in New York City premiered at the New Zealand Film Festival ^[5] in 2010.

Alongside his film projects Salmon is a director and writer of television programmes, notably the internationally successful South Pacific Pictures teen drama series Being Eve. The show was a finalist in the International Emmy Awards 2002 (Children & Young People), Gold World Medal Winner (Teen Programmes) in the New York Festivals 2002, and received the 2002 TV Guide New Zealand Television Awards for Best Drama Series, Best Contribution Soundtrack and Best Contribution Design.^[6] Salmon has also directed five episodes for South Pacific Pictures drama series, Go Girls.

Salmon also directed the motion capture elements for Weta Workshop and Nelvana's successful animation series Jane and the Dragon. He went on to direct the multi award winning show Outrageous Fortune and wrote for the popular pre school animation series, "The Wot Wots".

Salmon directed three episodes for "Power Rangers RPM" and went on to direct "This is not my Life", a science fiction drama for TVNZ. He also directed episodes of "Power Rangers Samurai"

Personal life

He is married to actress Morgana O'Reilly.^[7]

Filmography

DIRECTOR/WRITER - FILM

• The Box (2010): Director/Co-Writer
• Fog (2007): Director
• Letters About The Weather (1999): Director/Co-Writer
• Playing Possum (1998): Director/Writer
• The Creakers (1997): Director/Writer

DIRECTOR/WRITER - TELEVISION

• Nowhere Boys (2014): Director
• Mr & Mrs Murder (2013): Director
• Agent Anna (2013): Director
• Nothing Trivial (2012): Director
• Power Rangers: Samurai (2011): Director
• This is not my Life (2009): Director
• Power Rangers: RPM (2009): Director
• The Wot Wots (2009): Writer
• Go Girls (2008): Director
• Outrageous Fortune (Series 4) (2008): Director
• My Story (2007): Director/Co-Writer
• Jane and the Dragon (2005): Motion Capture Director
• Being Eve (2001): Director/Writer

References

External links

• Official website of Peter Salmon
• Peter Salmon at the Internet Movie Database
• 'Fog' official Facebook page
• Godzone Pictures, production company for 'Playing Possum' & 'Letters about the Weather'