Now both my films have been number one at the Australian box office and it took about two years just to get the finance for this film, so if it's hard for me then God help everyone else.

In a kind of a way there's a bit of that happening now so we have to be careful to preserve our culture.

Getting your screenplay right is the most important thing you'll ever do on your film.

I just wanted to do this all Australian film and we didn't want to give creative control to overseas 'cause whoever comes on my sets, whether you're sweeping the floor or an actor, it doesn't matter who comes up with the ideas, it's a collaboration.

Three years after starting, by physically doing everything from raising the finance to special effects, we'd finally cobbled together our low budget film.

Can you imagine what it would be like if all the Aussie film talent was able to make Australian stories?

Movies are a complicated collision of literature, theatre, music and all the visual arts.