Sparking Engagement and Excitement through Filmmaking: His Mission Behind KUAMITO Driven by a lifelong dream of creating compelling motion pictures, he left a successful career as a political organizer in 2017 and hasn't looked back since.

Peter Zerzan's journey to filmmaking was an unusual one. Driven by a lifelong dream of creating compelling motion pictures, he left a successful career as a political organizer in 2017 and hasn't looked back since. Though drastically different, he quickly realized that these two industries had transferable skills—namely, clear storytelling and making the most of accessible resources. Zerzan entered the industry with this philosophy, making this fusion of creativity and pragmatism the very core of KUAMITO, his Bay Area production studio.

Even its name—inspired by his favorite director-actor duo, Kurosawa Akira and Mifune Toshiro—KUAMITO, written in Katakana, reflects Zerzan's profound infatuation with the art of filmmaking. The studio's mission? To create films that people simply want to watch, ones that are exciting, well-produced, and witty at the same time without exceeding the budget.

With multiple awards, nominations, and screenings at film festivals from LA to NYC to Tokyo, it's fair to say Zerzan has achieved that and so much more. He debuted in 2020 with Election Night, a short film set amidst the frenzy of the 2018 midterm Congress election. It tells the story of two organizers, one a veteran, the other a rookie, at an empty office on Election Night who, for the first time, discuss their hopes, regrets, and fears.

Drawing from the director's previous career, the short delves into the reality of those who work on campaigns, exploring why people devote their lives to politics and change. It is arguably that conviction and plausibility that earned Election Night its success. The film was shown at the TCL Theater in Hollywood, entered into the 2021 San Francisco Movie Festival, and took home many accolades, including the 2021 Los Angeles Film Award.

Year after year, action films continue to dominate the industry, with predictions for rapid growth until 2033. Zerzan tapped into this lucrative market early, with the 2022 release of The Extraction. Set in the Richmond, a sleepy neighborhood in San Francisco, this short action film follows an unnamed agent armed with incredibly important data as she rushes to deliver it to the CIA. As the story unfolds, Zerzan masterfully reveals a den of spies operating under the cover of night, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats until the final credits run on the screen. "Action films are incredibly fun to shoot, and I see myself filming many more in the future!" he shares with excitement.

But before that, Zerzan will travel to Goa, India's tropical paradise, to bring his unique perspective into the romance genre. This Spring, he will begin filming The Tourist, a short picture capturing the story of Akiko, a Japanese businesswoman who travels to India to attend a convention. Somewhere between luscious coastlines, Goa's biodiversity, vast mountain ranges, and wild sandy beaches, Akiko's life changes as she ditches the conference to discover the true beauty of the world and, potentially, her life's most exciting romance.

The Tourist will use Goa's esoteric nature as a backdrop, with Zerzan making the location come to life through his camera lens. He revels in the joy of filming on-site, promising to bring this level of commitment to all his projects, whether it's in India, Europe, the Pacific Islands, or his native San Francisco. "There is nothing wrong with filming on set, but I believe that shooting on location adds a whole new level of authenticity and depth," he shares. "When you film on bustling city streets or are face-to-face with the elements, it adds a personal touch that truly emanates the location's essence."

The story of Peter Zerzan is one of passion and innovation, and the road ahead will be shaped by these same values. After the tremendous success of Election Night and The Extraction, Zerzan hopes to repeat this triumph with The Tourist. "I've always been fascinated by film – by the boundless possibilities of visual storytelling and the emotions it can convey," Zerzan reflects.

"For me, it's a journey of constant discovery, learning, and bending the rules of indie filmmaking, and, as long as I can tell stories from behind a camera, I'm looking forward to whatever the future holds."