Peter Jackson says the Film Commission favours producers over directors and writers. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Peter Jackson has launched another broadside at the Film Commission, claiming it's made the past 10 years "the most disappointing in our 30-year-old modern film industry".
In an interview with OnFilm magazine, Jackson accused the commission of creating a producer-led industry and treating directors and writers like "second-class citizens".
"The
film-making talent of New Zealand does not reside in the office of its producers - it's to be found in the hearts and minds of its writers and directors," he said.
The Government has appointed Jackson, who has made similar criticisms before, to undertake a review of the commission with David Court, from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. He has said he will widely canvass other Kiwi film-makers and offer "positive and constructive suggestions" to the body he once slammed as "self-serving bureaucrats".
Commission head of sales and marketing Kathleen Drumm said the commission welcomed the review by Jackson and was "really looking forward to it".
"We've got a new Government, a new chief executive. This is a new era for us, and we appreciate the fact that Peter has made himself available."
Defending the commission's record, she pointed to such hits as Whale Rider, Sione's Wedding, and The World's Fastest Indian.
Drumm refused to be drawn on the substance of Jackson's criticisms, saying "we'd rather respond to that in the context of the review".
Jackson also told OnFilm he would have liked to cut his three-hour epic King Kong, saying he was enjoying having plenty of time to complete latest movie The Lovely Bones.
"I wish we had this time on King Kong, which we badly wanted to reduce by 20 minutes, but we ran out of time before figuring out how to do it," he said. "Sometimes you wish you could pop the movie on a shelf for three months and come back to it with fresh eyes."
Jackson also revealed details of his latest projects. He is writing the script for the The Hobbit with partner Fran Walsh, longtime collaborator Philippa Boyens and Mexican director Guillermo del Toro.
Jackson said the writing was "a lot of fun... we're enjoying working with Guillermo very much, and I'm convinced he's going to make two wonderful films".
He said shooting would start in March.
Filming for the remake of British war classic The Dam Busters had been tipped to start this year, but Jackson had been too busy to "polish a draft of the script".
