Peter Olivera Nicks (born May 2, 1968) is an American film director, producer and writer. He began his career in television and served as co-producer and editor of the 2006 episode "Blame Somebody Else" of PBS series ''
AIR: America's Investigative Reports''. The episode received an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
in 2007 for Outstanding Feature Story in a News Magazine, for its exposure of the pipeline of illegal labor
human trafficking
Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...
during the
Iraq War
The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
.
He directed the 2012 documentary film ''
The Waiting Room''. It follows the life and times of patients, doctors, and staff at
Highland Hospital, a
safety-net hospital in
Oakland, California
Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...
.
In 2015, Nicks received a
United States Artists
United States Artists (USA) is a national arts funding organization based in Chicago. USA is dedicated to supporting living artists and cultural practitioners across the United States by granting unrestricted awards.
Mission
The organization' ...
(USA) fellowship.
In 2017, he released ''
The Force
The Force is a Metaphysics, metaphysical, mysterious, and Energy (esotericism), ubiquitous power in the ''Star Wars'' Universe of Star Wars, fictional universe. Characters refer to the Force as an energy that interconnects all things in the univer ...
'', a documentary about reform measures at the Oakland Police Department.
In January 2021, the third in his planned trilogy about Oakland public institutions, ''
Homeroom (2021 film)
''Homeroom'' is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Peter Nicks. The film, which is the final chapter of Nicks' ''Oakland'' trilogy (following '' The Waiting Room'' and ''The Force''), follows the lives of the Oakland High ...
'', received its world premiere at the online Sundance Film Festival.
The film is a documentary following the
Oakland High School class of 2020 through their senior year. The 2019-2020 year started normally, with students focusing on education as well as activism for social justice. But it took an unexpected turn when the
Covid-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
pandemic forced the students into isolation, with virtual classes and no graduation ceremony.
Nicks next directed ''
Stephen Curry: Underrated'', which premiered at the
2023 Sundance Film Festival
The 2023 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 to 29, 2023. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 7, 2022.
Films U.S. Dramatic Competition
* '' The Accidental Getaway Driver'', directed by Sing J. Lee
...
.
References
External links
*
Open'hood
Living people
American documentary filmmakers
Sundance Film Festival award winners
1968 births
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