Maybe it's just professional envy, but Film Commission boss Dave Gibson's expenses have not gone unnoticed. The commission's job is to get New Zealand films made, promoted and screened, and in pursuit of that goal, Gibson's burden was to attend the Toronto and Shanghai film festivals and other film events, including Cannes. All up, travel cost more than $60,000. The going was particularly rough in Cannes, with more than $9000 in airfares, $1600 in accommodation and $900 in per diems. The commission credit card also racked up more than $7000 in hospitality expenses over 12 months, the biggest item being an almost $1200 dinner bill for the board and others to celebrate commission chair Dame Patsy Reddy being awarded the NZ Order of Merit. The commission describes its role as "lining up the planets" for the film industry. Tough work, but someone has to do it.
Flight of fancy
Debate over the legality and morality of eating kereru has prompted memories of the time former Act MP Gerry Eckhoff advocated farming kiwi, to protect the bird from extinction. He was mocked widely for the suggestion, and his argument that no farmed species ever became extinct didn't get much traction. Perhaps Eckhoff was ahead of his time, and if there is a demand for kereru, maybe the market could meet it? On second thought, that idea seems as likely to fly as the kiwi.
Twisted tweet
Justice Minister Amy Adams having a film star as a namesake continues to cause much hilarity. One fan - of the actor - got his twitter handles confused and informed the minister he had noted her "big booty", to the amusement of Adams and her colleagues. The tweeter apologised with much embarrassment when he was told of the mixup.
