Professor Peter Biella received the 2024 SVA Lifetime Achievement Award

The Award was granted unanimously by the Society for Visual Anthropology Board of Directors,
 

Peter Biella has been awarded the 2024 SVA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Dr. Peter Biella (BA, MA Film Production, San Francisco State University; MA, PhD Visual

Anthropology, Temple University) is Professor of Anthropology teaching in the Department of

Anthropology and Cinema at San Francisco State University. In the 1970s, Biella developed his

interest in visual anthropology, experimental film, and anthropological filmmaking by mentoring

for three years with John Collier, Jr. and with filmmaker Peter Kubelka in San Francisco. After

that he studied with Jay Ruby, Richard Chalfen and Peter Rigby in Philadelphia. Between 1984

and 1996, Biella worked as an independent filmmaker while teaching visual anthropology at

Temple University. In 1999, after teaching at the University of Southern California, Biella joined

the faculty of his alma mater, San Francisco State University. Since then, he has directed the

visual anthropology (BA & MA) program at SFSU.