So what would make the 38-year-old American move to Dunedin with his young family?
"Lifestyle. Back home in the United States, you live to work, but here you work to live . . . I really like that."
Accepting the position of executive producer with Dunedin-based documentary production company NHNZ, Mr Cumbo arrived in the city last week with his wife, Julie, and two young daughters.
Having produced and directed more than 25 documentaries, including a six-year stint as an executive producer for National Geographic Channel, Mr Cumbo was excited to relocate from his home in Washington DC to work with NHNZ.
"Maybe 50% of the people here know a bit about these guys, but on the world stage they are huge. They have a tremendous reputation and it is a great company to work for, and Dunedin feels like a good city to raise my family."
Mr Cumbo said Dunedin reminded him of his home state of Louisiana, with the friendliness of the people combined with their love of food and music.
He was keen to introduce his NHNZ colleagues to the southern specialty of gumbo, a strong stock made with vegetables.
"I think we will definitely have a `Gumbo at the Cumbo party' to mark our first production."
But it was documentary film-making, not his culinary prowess, which have earned Mr Cumbo an impressive international reputation.
His 2002 documentary Search for the Afghan Girl, about the search for the young refugee Shabat Gula, who graced the cover of a 1985 National Geographic magazine, earned an Emmy nomination, a Cine Golden Eagle award and a Gold World Medal at the New York Festivals.
Mr Cumbo collected his most recent award on a stopover in Abdu Dhabi before he arrived in New Zealand.
His contribution to factual films about the Middle East earned him the Sheikh Zayed trophy at the inaugural Anasy Documentary Awards.
"It was quite a humbling experience," he said.
Mr Cumbo said part of the appeal of living in New Zealand was being able to spend time with his family.
"Here, I am able to sit down and have dinner with my family, whereas I was rarely home back in the United States."
With major productions under way at NHNZ, Mr Cumbo had begun work on the second series of Orangutan Island and Dark Days in Monkey City for Animal Planet and I Survived for A&E Television Networks.
