Peter Chelsom is a distinguished member of the British Academy, the American Academy, The Directors Guild Of America, and The Writers Guild Of America. Born in Blackpool, North of England, he holds dual citizenship of the United States and the United Kingdom. Interestingly, he is also an Honorary Citizen of Fivizzano, a small town in Tuscany, Italy.
Peter is a family man, married with three sons. He began his career in the arts by training at London's Central School of Drama, where he honed his skills as an actor. He went on to play leading roles in television, film, and theatre productions, including performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and the Royal Court Theatre.
At the age of 30, Peter transitioned to film direction and writing. His debut film, Treacle, received a BAFTA nomination and was invited to festivals worldwide, including the prestigious New York Film Festival. His first full-length feature, the romantic comedy Hear My Song, was a critical and commercial success, winning the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Newcomer and receiving a Royal Premiere attended by Princess Diana.
Peter's subsequent films continued to garner critical acclaim and commercial success. Funny Bones, a comedy about comedy, starred Oliver Platt, Jerry Lewis, and Leslie Caron, and won Best Picture at five European Film Festivals. The Mighty, based on the best-selling book Freak The Mighty, received two Golden Globe nominations and starred Sharon Stone, Gillian Anderson, and Gena Rowlands.
Chelsom's subsequent films include Town and Country, Serendipity, which grossed $52 million at the US Box Office, and Shall We Dance, which grossed $170 million worldwide. His more recent films include Hector and the Search for Happiness, which premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, and The Space Between Us, a sci-fi romance starring Gary Oldman, Asa Butterfield, and Britt Robertson, set to release on December 16th, 2016.
