Peter Hayman has been selected as the new film commissioner for South Vancouver Island.
Armed with 25 years of experience in film, Hayman will start his new role on May 1, following Kathleen Gilbert leaving the role on April 30. She will stay on for an additional month of training with the new commissioner.
“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to carry on the great work of The Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission,” Hayman said in a statement. “Kathleen Gilbert and her team have done an amazing job over the past 14 years and as we enter a new era of film and media production fuelled by new technology and innovation, the possibilities are boundless.”
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Hayman was selected from dozens of candidates who applied during a nationwide search that began Dec. 7. He recently moved to North Saanich and is no stranger to the unique challenges in the entertainment industry.
Before attending the Algonquin College Film School and studying film at UCLA, he was a studio musician and songwriter for the Crested Butte Records in Blouder, Colo. From there he moved onto various crew positions before being hired as a film editor for the 25th Frame Film Production Company and then by its parent company CFTO and Glen Warren Productions to produce and direct non-scripted productions.
He’s worked in Hawaii on an IMAX movie about sealife; Los Angeles to create and oversee TV series for channels including Turner, TLC, Teletoon and Discovery; and Toronto to produce commercials, films and music videos for bands including Rush.
Hayman has also produced TV specials for CBC, as well as worked as an executive director and business agent for the International Cinematographers Guild of Western Canada.
South Vancouver Island Film and Media board president Don Enright said the commission is extraordinarily fortunate to have been able to land someone of Hayman’s calibre from a pool of worthy candidates.
“Peter brings an extraordinary range of industry experience, as well as a vast skill set,” Enright said in a statement. “He has produced, directed, developed, managed, innovated and delivered; been a seriously successful money-raiser and highly effective labour leader; and he has a lifetime’s worth of professional relationships here and in the U.S.”
Hayman said he is inspired by the South Island’s burgeoning tech sector along with other assets and is excited to fill the boots as the new commissioner.
“I looked forward to sharing my own enthusiasm with those looking for the perfect place to create film and media projects,” Hayman said.
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