Jane Wrightson

Who is Jane Wrightson?

Jane Wrightson was born in Hastings, New Zealand in 1958. She became New Zealand’s eighth Chief Censor, and first woman Chief Censor, in 1991, a position she held until the Films, Videos, and Publications Act was passed in 1993. Before her appointment as Chief Censor, Wrightson obtained a BA in English at Victoria University of Wellington, a Diploma in Business Administration at Massey University, and a Master of Business Administration with Distinction. She worked for a decade prior for TVNZ including in the programming department and as head of commissioned programmes for Television New Zealand.

Wrightson wrote in 1992 that her “strong will has been a blessing and a curse to me. The strength is needed as a film censor – there are so many individuals and groups pulling in so many different directions that after absorbing all the approaches one simply has to go with instincts, consultation and a healthy dollop of common sense.”

In 1992, Wrightson banned Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, calling it a “stalk and slash” movie too violent for New Zealand screens.