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.

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.

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.

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.

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

We live in a time where government is not a leadership thing, it's more a business that's out there and running riot, so I guess the people have to go out there and say stuff.

You go overseas and people are oppressed and scared and worried but we're not like that... we're more like my films and how people come out at the end of seeing them - they feel good.

Australians don't have a preconceived notion of what things have to be... we can go on a fantastic journey.

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.

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

I support all Australian films.

The obsession required to see a feature through from concept to release is not a rational thing to do with your brief time on this planet. Nor is it something to which an intelligent person should aspire.

All the jokes in my films, the comedy, they're not me, I just try to hold a big mirror up to us.

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

Hollywood is horrible... it's beyond satire.

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

In 1905 Albert discovered Relativity, in 1906 he invented Rock and Roll.

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

It was always easy for me. I was born very rich and lucky.