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Veteran Kiwi producer Dave Gibson has been appointed CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission, triggering a management buyout of his production company The Gibson Group.
He replaces Graeme Mason who recently left to become CEO of Screen Australia.
“Dave Gibson is one of New Zealand’s most experienced film and television producers and we are delighted to have secured his services for this important leadership role,” NZFC chairwoman Patsy Reddy said Monday.
“He has a depth and breadth of knowledge and experience of the New Zealand industry across both film and television which we see as invaluable for the NZFC, particularly as we seek to encourage the development of sustainable businesses with stronger international reach,” she said.
Gibson is the founder of the Wellington production company The Gibson Group, a company with a 35 year history of working in film, television and visitor attractions in New Zealand and internationally. Current TV series in production include observational documentaries Prison Families, Street Hospital and a special series to commemorate the centenary of World War 1, War News.
He is in the process of selling his shares in the company to a group of senior staff.
They include chief executive Victoria Spackman, director of exhibition projects Allan Smith, producer Bevin Linkhorn and exhibitions producer Brett Tompkins.
“This is a significant step in the history of the business, and the new owners are confident and motivated to build on the company’s reputation for new and engaging viewer and visitor experiences,” Spackman said. “We are also determined to create new content and technology at the forefront of the radical changes happening in television, film, on-line and museum experiences.”
As a result the Gibson Group will remain independent, bucking the trend of NZ production company’s moving into foreign ownership. Earlier this month Greenstone TV was acquired by Australia’s Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder, while All3Media took over South Pacific Pictures earlier this year and Natural History New Zealand was acquired by David Haslingden’s Australian based Northern Pictures from Fox last year.
Gibson was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the film and television industry in 2012. He was a board member of the NZFC Film Commission during the mid-1990s.
He will take up his new role in January and has been contracted for five years.
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