Scott Petersen – Producer/Director/Editor
Armed with degrees in film and economics from the University of Michigan, Petersen began his career on the feature film “Zebrahead.” Along with working in John Hughes’ office, his résumé includes work on “Antiques Roadshow,” “Rescue 911,” “Unsolved Mysteries,” Fox News, BBC, VH1, the Food Network, MGM Home Entertainment and several feature films and commercials.
Petersen produced and directed the award-winning, feature-length documentary “Out Of The Loop,” which explored Chicago’s underground music scene and featured such Windy City notables as Veruca Salt, the Jesus Lizard, and Steve Albini. This movie enjoyed a 15-city tour of colleges and universities and played at several festivals around the United States and Europe. ”Out Of The Loop” was broadcast on PBS.
He delved deep into the cutthroat world of tournament Scrabble® with his award-winning documentary, Scrabylon, which he produced, directed, and edited. Media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, TimeOut New York and the syndicated entertainment news program “Extra!” have all featured stories on “Scrabylon.” After numerous festivals and screenings around the United States, this acclaimed doc was featured on PBS.
The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz, the story of how an American adventurer and a brilliant, self-taught Mexican artist transformed a dying desert village into a home for world-class art, won numerous awards at film festivals and screened at several museums and universities around the country. It was broadcast on PBS and won an Emmy for Best Cultural Documentary.
As the United States deals with a toxic political climate, Hitchhiking to the Edge of Sanity takes a look back to the turbulent social upheaval of the early 1970s and follows an idealistic writer and his soon-to-be married photographer friend as they set out to find their purpose via a terrifying road trip across the Sahara Desert. This doc played at several festivals and was awarded an Emmy for Best Cultural Documentary.
We Eat Socca Here tells the hidden story of a savory local specialty found only on the French Riviera and the surrounding areas. Socca enjoys a historical and cultural significance that far outweighs its simple and rustic four ingredients. How Nice!
He currently produces and edits projects for the Recording Academy and Latin Recording Academy, who present the annual Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, respectively. He lives in Southern California.