Peter Bonilla, soc

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Director of photography Peter Bonilla was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. He moved to California with his family in his late teens, and was soon admitted to UCLA’s School of Motion Picture and Television. Upon graduation (cum Laude), Peter returned to his hometown and worked at the National Film Board of Canada before deciding to pursue a freelance career in cinematography.

Peter worked as an assistant cameraman in Montreal and New York for nine years and eventually moved to Hollywood in 1984. Having paid his dues by apprenticing with some of the greatest documentary and narrative cinematographers in the business, including Jeri Sopanen and Arthur Ornitz, Peter advanced from “assistant” to “cinematographer” and has since had the good fortune to work on numerous quality programs for PBS such as NOVA, as well as most of the major broadcast and cable networks (several of which have won Emmy awards).

While his initial training and background is in film, Peter enthusiastically embraces and tests all the latest flavors of digital and HD technology.

He’s a member of the International Cinematographer’s Guild (34 years and counting) as well as the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Society of Camera Operators and the Digital Cinema Society. He also serves as the copy editor of the multiple Maggie Award winning International Cinematographer Magazine.

Peter speaks fluent French and Spanish. His language skills and credentials have taken him around the world several times and his passion and love of the craft continue to sustain him.