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Peter Hutton

1944 – 2016

American filmmaker

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About Peter Hutton

Lived 1944 – 2016 (aged 71). Peter Hutton was an American cinematographer, film director and photographer.

Peter Barrington Hutton (August 24, 1944 – June 25, 2016) was an American experimental filmmaker, known primarily for his silent cinematic portraits of cities and landscapes around the world. He also worked as a professional cinematographer, most notably for his former student Ken Burns, as well as cinematography for Lizzie Borden's Born in Flames, Phil Hartman's No Picnic, assorted films by artist Red Grooms and Albert Maysles' The Gates.

Early life and education Hutton was born August 24, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan to Donald and Dorothy Hutton. He had a twin sister Wendy and a brother William. His father was a merchant seaman.

Career In 1987, Hutton was awarded Best Cinematography for his work on Phil Hartman's feature film No Picnic at the Sundance Film Festival.

In 2011, the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress selected Study of a River as one of 25 films annually chosen. He taught filmmaking at CalArts, Hampshire College, Harvard University, SUNY Purchase, and Bard College, where he had been a professor of film since 1984 and later directed the Film and Electronic Arts program.

Much of Hutton's career was influenced by his time in the merchant marines.

Hutton's films are distributed by Canyon Cinema in San Francisco and Arsenal – Institut für Film und Videokunst in Berlin. In May 2008 the Museum of Modern Art in New York held a full retrospective of Hutton's films. His most recent work, Three Landscapes, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2013.

Hutton died of cancer at the age of 71 on June 25, 2016.

Selected filmography In Marin County (1970) July '71 in San Francisco, Living at Beach Street, Working at Canyon Cinema, Swimming in the Valley of the Moon (1971) New York Near Sleep for Saskia (1972) Images of Asian Music (A Diary from Life 1973–1974) (1973–1974) Florence (1975) Boston Fire (1979) New York Portrait: Chapter One (1978–1979) New York Portrait: Chapter Two (1980–1981) Budapest Portrait (Memories of a City) (1984–1986) Landscape for Manon (1986) New York Portrait: Chapter Three (1990) In Titan's Goblet (1991) Lodz Symphony (1991–1993) Study of a River (1996–1997) Time and Tide (2000) Looking at the Sea (2001) Two Rivers (2001–2002) Skagafjordur (2002–2004) At Sea (2007) Three Landscapes (2013)

Exhibitions 2010: Les Rencontres d'Arles, France.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Employers
Harvard University, Hampshire College
Awards
Guggenheim Fellowship
Also known as
Peter Barrington Hutton, Peter B. Hutton

People in Peter Hutton's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Peter Hutton's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Peter Hutton?

American filmmaker (1944–2016)

When was Peter Hutton born?

Peter Hutton was born on 24 August 1944 in Detroit.

When did Peter Hutton die?

Peter Hutton died on 25 June 2016.

What was Peter Hutton's occupation?

Peter Hutton was a cinematographer, film director and photographer.

What nationality was Peter Hutton?

Peter Hutton was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Peter Hutton

· Wikidata: Q7174804

· DBpedia: Peter Hutton (filmmaker)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Peter Hutton. https://biography.guide/peter-hutton-cinematographer/

MLA: "Peter Hutton." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/peter-hutton-cinematographer/.

Chicago: "Peter Hutton." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/peter-hutton-cinematographer/.

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