Peter Sova
Czech-born American cinematographer (1944–2020)
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Milan Peter Sova (September 25, 1944 – August 27, 2020)[1] was a Czech-born American cinematographer.
Peter Sova | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 25, 1944 |
| Died | August 27, 2020 (aged 75) |
| Years active | 1975–2019 |
Early life
Sova was born in Prague, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (present-day Czech Republic).[2]
After training to be a machinist in Prague (then Czechoslovakia), he would emigrate to New York City, where he worked fixing cameras at ABC.[3]
Career
Sova's first work as cinematographer was on the 1977 film Short Eyes.
Through his career he would collaborate frequently with Barry Levinson and Paul McGuigan.
He became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers in 1999.[1]
Personal life and death
He was married to his wife Elizabeth from 1988 until her death in 2018. They had one son together.[2]
Sova died at his home in South Kortright, New York on August 27, 2020, at the age of 75.[4]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Short Eyes | Robert M. Young |
| 1978 | Rockers | Theodoros Bafaloukos |
| 1982 | Diner | Barry Levinson |
| 1987 | Tin Men | |
| Good Morning, Vietnam | ||
| Courtship | Howard Cummings | |
| 1989 | Sing | Richard Baskin |
| 1991 | Late for Dinner | W. D. Richter |
| 1992 | Bed & Breakfast[a] | Robert Ellis Miller |
| Straight Talk | Barnet Kellman | |
| 1994 | Jimmy Hollywood | Barry Levinson |
| 1995 | Feast of July | Christopher Menaul |
| 1996 | Sgt. Bilko | Jonathan Lynn |
| 1997 | Donnie Brasco | Mike Newell |
| 1998 | The Proposition | Lesli Linka Glatter |
| 2000 | Gangster No. 1 | Paul McGuigan |
| 2002 | Doctor Sleep | Nick Willing |
| 2004 | The Reckoning | Paul McGuigan |
| Wicker Park | ||
| 2006 | Lucky Number Slevin | |
| 2008 | The Strangers | Bryan Bertino |
| 2009 | Push | Paul McGuigan |
- Shared credit with Peter Shea
Television
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | The Jolly Corner | Arthur Barron | |
| 1977 | Soldier's Home | Robert Young | |
| 1978 | Summer of My German Soldier | Michael Tuchner | |
| 1979 | The Halloween That Almost Wasn't | Bruce Bilson | |
| 1980 | Barn Burning | Peter Werner | |
| Nurse | David Lowell Rich | ||
| 1984 | A Doctor's Story | Peter Levin | |
| 1986 | Adam's Apple | James Frawley | |
| 1992 | Double Jeopardy | Lawrence Schiller | With Robert Carmichael |
| 1994 | Fatherland | Christopher Menaul | |
TV series
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | NBC Special Treat | Barra Grant | Episode "The Tap Dance Kid" |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | Donald Petrie | Episode "Dead Drop" |
Miniseries
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Perfect Murder, Perfect Town | Lawrence Schiller | |
| 2006 | Thief | Paul McGuigan | Episode "Pilot" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | CableACE Award | Cinematography in a Movie or Miniseries | Fatherland | Nominated |
| 2000 | AFI Fest | Vision Award in Cinematography | Gangster No. 1 | Won |