---
name: "Peter Sova"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/peter-sova"
fi1m_id: "peter-sova"
imdb_id: "nm0816292"
tmdb_id: 11958
wikidata_id: "Q72978347"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "25 September 1944"
died: "27 August 2020"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-26T01:31:57.687880+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Peter Sova

## Identity

Peter Sova

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/peter-sova
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** peter-sova
- **IMDb ID:** nm0816292
- **TMDB ID:** 11958
- **Wikidata ID:** Q72978347
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Sova, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q72978347, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0816292/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11958

Cinematographer. Born 25 September 1944 in Prague, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. Died 27 August 2020.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 25 September 1944, Prague, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]
- **Died:** 27 August 2020
- **Active:** 1982–1997
- **Frequently works with:** [Barry Levinson](https://film.one/person/barry-levinson.md), [Bruno Kirby](https://film.one/person/bruno-kirby.md), [Mark Johnson](https://film.one/person/mark-johnson.md)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 76 (2), 1990s 84 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 71 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Comedy 2, Crime 1, Thriller 1, War 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $263m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Sova, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q72978347, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0816292/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11958

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Donnie Brasco*](https://film.one/film/donnie-brasco.md) (84)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Peter Sova was a Czech-born American cinematographer. Born Milan Peter Sova in Prague on 25 September 1944, he trained as a machinist before emigrating to New York City, where he worked repairing cameras at ABC. His first feature credit as cinematographer was *Short Eyes* (1977).

Sova frequently collaborated with director Barry Levinson on *Diner* (1982), *Tin Men* (1987), *Good Morning, Vietnam* (1987) and *Jimmy Hollywood* (1994). He also worked repeatedly with Paul McGuigan on *Gangster No. 1* (2000), *The Reckoning* (2002), *Wicker Park* (2004), *Lucky Number Slevin* (2006) and *Push* (2009). Other credits include *Donnie Brasco* (1997), *Sgt. Bilko* (1996) and *The Strangers* (2008). He became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers in 1999 and received a CableACE nomination for *Fatherland* (1994) and an AFI Fest Vision Award for *Gangster No. 1*.

Sova died on 27 August 2020 at his home in South Kortright, New York.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, hollywoodreporter.com, theasc.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Donnie Brasco* (1997), Fi1m 84, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/donnie-brasco.md)
- *Good Morning, Vietnam* (1987), Fi1m 68, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/good-morning-vietnam.md)
- *Diner* (1982), Fi1m 84, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/diner.md)

## Complete filmography (36)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Push* (2009), Director of Photography
- *The Strangers* (2008), Director of Photography
- *Thief* (2006), series, Director of Photography
- *Lucky Number Slevin* (2006), Director of Photography
- *Wicker Park* (2004), Director of Photography
- *The Reckoning* (2004), Director of Photography
- *Doctor Sleep* (2002), Director of Photography
- *Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: JonBenét and the City of Boulder* (2000), Director of Photography
- *Perfect Murder, Perfect Town* (2000), series, Director of Photography
- *The Proposition* (1998), Director of Photography
- *Donnie Brasco* (1997), Director of Photography — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/donnie-brasco.md)
- *Sgt. Bilko* (1996), Director of Photography
- *Feast of July* (1995), Director of Photography
- *Fatherland* (1994), Director of Photography
- *Jimmy Hollywood* (1994), Director of Photography
- *Double Jeopardy* (1992), Director of Photography
- *Straight Talk* (1992), as Cabbie · Director of Photography
- *Bed & Breakfast* (1991), Director of Photography
- *Late for Dinner* (1991), Director of Photography
- *Sing* (1989), Director of Photography
- *Good Morning, Vietnam* (1987), Director of Photography — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/good-morning-vietnam.md)
- *Tin Men* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Courtship* (1987), Director of Photography
- *The Equalizer* (1985), series, Director of Photography
- *A Doctor's Story* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Diner* (1982), Director of Photography — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/diner.md)
- *Nurse* (1980), Director of Photography
- *Barn Burning* (1980), Director of Photography
- *Rockers* (1979), Director of Photography
- *The Halloween That Almost Wasn't* (1979), Director of Photography
- *Samba of the Creation of the World* (1979), Director of Photography
- *Summer of My German Soldier* (1978), Director of Photography
- *Woody Allen: An American Comedy* (1977), Director of Photography
- *Short Eyes* (1977), Director of Photography
- *Soldier's Home* (1977), Director of Photography
- *Henry James' The Jolly Corner* (1975), Director of Photography

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/peter-sova