Professor in Cinematography

Peter (Panagiotis) Salapatas was born in Sydney Australia in 1965. His first degree, Bachelor of Arts (B.A) is in Pure Mathematics and Classical Literature in Translation. He continues his studies in film in New York (B.F.A) with a Masters’ degree (M.F.A) in film in U.S.C, Los Angeles.

In 1997 he films a Sudanese priest in exile living in Kenya back to Sudan where he  brings a variety of food to his people. His experiences are recorded in Gabriel Meyer’s, a fellow traveller, book: War and Faith (Wm. B. Eardmans Publishing Co. 2005).

In 1999 he works in the Philippines as a cinematographer in the independent feature film KAMO. Upon returning to Greece he shoots the film: Still Looking for Morphine directed by Yannis Fagras. The film, which has attained a cult status, enjoyed immense appreciation by the Greek audience and gained the Greek Critics’ Association Award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival (2001). In 2006 his medium length documentary The Forest Dances wins the audience award at the Platforma Video Festival. In 2008 he works a cinematographer in the film Slaves in their Bonds a period film directed by Tonis Lykouresis. The film was awarded 10 awards in the Thessaloniki International Film Festival (2008). 2011 is the year he shoots Forget me Not, a film directed by Yannis Fagras shot in t New Orleans and Alaska.

Since 2011 Peter has been teaching cinematography at the School of Film, in Aristotle University , Thessaloniki, Greece. In 2021 he became professor.

In 2012 he shoots additional footage for the documentary A Monk with a Camera directed by Guido Santi and Tina Mascara. The documentary follows a western monk who became a Buddhist and Peter was responsible for the footage shot in Northern India during the Kalachakra initiation.

Peter has shot numerous short films like Stin Elvyn (2014) and Quanto (2015) directed by Orfeas Peretzis and feature length films like A Night at the Theatre (2022) and I Will Love You in November (2022) both directed by Sotiris Stamatis, The Zealot (2023) directed by Stelios Repanis and Mikros Anthropofagos (2024) directed by Yannis Fagras.

Peter has worked as a director in the second cycle of the series Fotina Monopatia (Trails of Light) (2017) produced by the National Television (ERT 2)

His short film Level 71 which he directed won, among other awards, the Best Short Film award at the London International Film Festival in 2023.

Peter is also a member of the Greek Society of Cinematographers (G.S.C) and has also degree in piano.