Peter Sumner

Peter Sumner

WRITER/DIRECTOR

Peter's apprenticeship began in the sixties on a five year contract with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation where he worked as a writer and program assistant with the ARGONAUTS before moving to television, and writing and directing over a hundred multicam productions. For ABCTV and Gunnar Isaacson Productions he wrote 24 half hour travel documentaries LETTERS FROM ABROAD and directed a documentary SWEDEN AT HOME on student politics in that country. Peter also wrote and directed a number of short films for ABCTV magazine programs. He worked as Peter Summerton's assistant director on a production of Arthur Miller's AFTER THE FALL at the Independent Theatre in Sydney.

During the eighties Peter wrote and directed two very successful documentary films for Chateau Productions. MOUNTAIN MAN about a brumby hunter's life on the High Plains and CRADLE OF MANKIND, shot in Africa and investigating Dr. Richard Leakey's latest discoveries of ancient hominid fossils. Both documentaries were bought and screened by Network Ten and later Discovery Channel, National Geographic and Deutsche Television.

As a producer with Beyond International Peter worked on ENTERTAINMENT BEYOND 2000 and several documentaries. For the same company he adapted Trish Sheppard's novel CHILDREN OF BLINDNESS as a screenplay.

In 2003 Peter directed a production of Mastrosimone's savage play EXTREMITIES at the Edge Theatre in Sydney. He has also directed

UNCLE VANYA, ICARUS'S MOTHER, CHAMBER MUSIC, WHITE WITH WIREC WHEELS, THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND, GOOD SOMETIME, THE WAITING ROOM. In 2006 he directed a highly successful stage adaption of the iconic Australian film THE CASTLE for Jally Productions in Queensland.

In 2006 he directed a one hour documentary BABA'S BIRTHDAY with Michael Ney of Sensory Productions. The film follows Peter's son Luke to India where he appears in a theatre production of the classic Bedouin love story 'Leila and Majnun' to celebrate the birthday of the spiritual Master Meher Baba.

In 2010 Peter's screenplay SPIDER DANCE will go into production at the Cinecitta Studios in Rome directed by Lajos Koltai and produced by Robert Roworth. Set in the 1850's this story concerns the infamous courtesan Lola Montez and her six tempestuous months in the Australian colonies.

Slated for production in 2011 by Johnny Pictures is Peter's screenplay BIG TIN GODS, a satire on contemporary religious cults and beliefs.