Peter McGennis

Peter was raised in Buffalo, New York. His father is a man of many ideas and his mother, an uprooted Southern belle from New Orleans, taught third grade for forty years. He grew up believing that anything was achievable; and, he has always backed up his dreams with passion, creativity, and an incredible work ethic. But the best part, is that underneath his striking looks and strong mind is a inspirational soul that truly defines him. He is always working on becoming a better person that, in turn, brings him success in everything that he takes on. Right after college, he created a line of motorcycle luggage called SAC for Harley-Davidson that became a household name throughout the motorcycle world. During that time he married his first love and was blessed with three children. He felt that he needed to be a more complete person before entering the world of film. He wrote, directed, and produced his first feature down in New Orleans, entitled "In", as a way to learn the ropes before turning to his hometown of Buffalo as a creative canvas. His body of work is interdisciplinary and he is known for layering multiple art forms in his feature films, particularly his own music, as well as dance, photography, calligraphy, animation, comic book illustration and others. McGennis continues to forge his own path in the industry mostly working mostly outside of Hollywood allowing him the freedom to cultivate his own style. He is regarded as a pioneer of the "buy local movement" expanding into independent film and reflecting regional characteristics, distinct cultures and local stories that have special meaning to its local audience. Peter sees making art as an opportunity to cherish stories, to grow as a person, to share a journey and to inspire as he moves towards creating healing projects such as his children's feature "Bubble Girl" and documentary "The Nolan Burch Story." On the music side, he has created several original soundtracks such as "Queen City: A Rustbelt Serenade" working with some of the finest blues, soul and jazz musicians including the late Allen Toussaint, Sharon Jones, James Cotton, Jimmy Smith and others. He continues to record with an all-star studio project band "Pete & The Amusements" and to press vinyl for record fans. He has an aura that you pick up on almost immediately that is real and inviting and he knows how to make his moments count. He is the rare type of person who continues to meet the level of high standards that he sets for himself whether he is working with kids, making art, and more importantly embracing his role as husband and father. He is too strong a person to be diminished by fame as he puts his inspiration into action and embraces the unknown.