Film commissioner Peter Hayman is no longer with the Langford-based Vancouver Island South Film & Media Commission, after less than two months on the job.
Hayman was hired to succeed film industry veteran Kathleen Gilbert, who retired April 30 after 14 years in the role. He started work on May 1. The board of directors officially announced his departure on June 28. An email sent to the Times Colonist by board president Annie Wong-Harrison said the commission “has no comment on this matter at this time” and wishes Hayman well in his future endeavours.
Hayman was selected from nearly 70 nationwide candidates, and brought with him 25 years of related experience, a press release by the film commission said at the time of his hiring. Gilbert, Victoria’s longest-serving film commissioner, agreed to remain with the commission in a training and consulting capacity until June 1, after which point she officially retired.
She has returned to her previous position on an interim basis, until a new commissioner is found. Applications for the position are currently being considered, according to Wong-Harrison.
There is no mention of Hayman’s stint at the film commission on his Linkedin profile, the business- and employment-focused social media platform. According to the site, his previous experience includes time as the executive director of the International Cinematographers Guild, which is based in Vancouver.
The commission was founded in 1974 and enjoyed its biggest period of growth under Gilbert’s leadership. She was instrumental in attracting a variety of high-profile television projects to the region, including Maid, Gracepoint and Reginald the Vampire. Film and television shoots generate upwards of $50 million annually in direct spending around the region, according to previously published reports.
Hallmark movie A Case of the Yarnmaker is currently filming in Victoria, while another Hallmark feature, Homecoming with Mrs. Miracle, starts production Monday.
