South Vancouver Island’s new film commissioner has stepped down from the role roughly two months after taking the reins, according to the film commission.
Peter Hayman has left his position, says Annie Wong-Harrison, president of the Vancouver Island South Film & Media Commission (VISFMC), in a statement to CHEK News. She says the board announced his departure on Friday, June 28.
“The board wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavours,” said Wong-Harrison, adding that VISFMC “has no further comment to make at this time.”
The film commission, which facilitates local movie and TV show productions, announced in March that Hayman would succeed outgoing commissioner Kathleen Gilbert, who had shared her plans for retirement back in December. Her last day was April 30, while Hayman’s first day was May 1.
The latter was lauded for his 25 years of experience in film, media and entertainment, but now Gilbert is back “on an interim basis pending further developments,” says Wong-Harrison.
“The board is exploring various options…”
Langford-based VISFMC, a non-profit founded in 1974, has “a mandate to market the capital region to the global film industry,” reads a previous news release.
It says there’s been “remarkable growth” in local filming, with productions like Netflix’s “Maid,” Fox’s “Gracepoint” and Disney’s “Descendants” helping boost direct spending — the amount of money producers fork out at local businesses — to $60 million in 2022.
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Ethan Morneau
