Find your own specific voice in filmmaking and go for it. Either people will get it or they won’t and that’s what it’s all about.

It’s because we are so flooded with American culture that we’re startled when we see ourselves up there on the screen.

The American formula things are out there but they don’t have any stories to tell – we have all the stories to tell – but they’re all formula.

I don’t know what it means to be out there against the Olympics.

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.

I kind of worry about that a little bit – we lost our film culture for 30 years because the Americans came in and bought up all the cinema chains and wouldn’t show any Australian films.

If government and media and all of us in the Australian tribe got together, and the rock industry, we’d just be the greatest cultural force the world has ever seen – we’re such an amazing race.

Then if your movie clicks with real audiences, you’ll be sucked into some sort of Hollywood orbit. It’s a devil of a place where the only religion that really counts is box office.