Festival Co-director
Peter Castaldi
Peter has worked in entertainment journalism, film exhibition, distribution and marketing and festival programming and management for all of his professional life. He is a highly experienced festival and film marketing consultant and manager.
He is also highly regarded as film and entertainment journalist and commentator.
Between 1977 and 1981 Peter managed and programmed Valhalla independent cinemas in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney.
From 1984 until 2001 Peter worked as an entertainment industry journalist, producer & presenter with the ABC & SBS in TV and Radio across multiple channels. He also worked as a writer, producer and presenter for commercial FTA, Cable TV and in Radio and Print.
In 1994 he was the first Australian journalist invited to sit on the Cannes Film Festival FIPRESCI Jury.
In 1999 and 2000, Peter delivered the City of Sydney Goat Island Film Festivals and the Olympics Arts Film Festival as artistic director and general manager.
In 2001 he built the 3-screen cinema complex in holiday resort town of Byron Bay. He programmed and managed the cinema until 2004 to be one of the most successful regional cinemas in Australia.
From June 2004 until November 2006 Peter was the Big Screen Festival Director and Project Manager for the Australian Film Commission (now Screen Australia) delivering both the regional tours and the pilot Regional Digital Screen Network.
He has also worked as an independent distributor and established the theatrical division for Umbrella Entertainment. He was Producer, Marketing & Distribution for the international release of the digital full-dome work “Coral Rekindling Venus” in 2012 and a national North American tour with Sundance New Frontiers in 2013.
He was curator and co-director, with Anupam Sharma, of the Australian Film Festival of India which annually toured Australian screen content (features, shorts and documentaries) to multiple Indian cities.
He has also produced the Brunswick Picture House and consulted to HOTA on education programs.
Peter is currently Managing Editor Education Services and Partnerships Manager with Australian Teachers of Media Inc.
He is acknowledged as a Cinema Pioneer.
He is also a qualified chef and former owner of successful restaurants. But that’s another story!
