▁A CT ▁in ▁the ▁Te al ▁Cup ▁but ▁later ▁switched ▁codes ▁to ▁Rugby , ▁playing ▁ 1 st ▁grade ▁both ▁for ▁his ▁school ▁and ▁the ▁A NU . ▁Wh ilst ▁at ▁university , ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁film - making ▁developed , ▁and ▁he ▁later ▁gained ▁a ▁Master ▁of ▁Arts ▁in ▁Direct ing ▁at ▁AF TR S . ▁He ▁has ▁shot ▁ 1 5 ▁short ▁films ▁winning ▁three ▁Trop fest ▁awards ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁feature ▁film , ▁K ok oda , ▁which ▁he ▁co - w rote . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁G ri erson ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁the ▁Av atar ▁set ▁during ▁shooting ▁by ▁James ▁Camer on , ▁and ▁was ▁selected ▁to ▁direct ▁a ▁ 3 D ▁cave - d iving ▁drama ▁San ct um , ▁using ▁the ▁Camer on - develop ed ▁F usion ▁Camera ▁System . ▁The ▁script ▁is ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁near - de ath ▁experience ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁writers , ▁Andrew ▁W ight , ▁who ▁was ▁tra pped ▁in ▁a ▁cave ▁collapse ▁under ▁the ▁Null ar bor ▁P lain . ▁It ▁was ▁shot ▁at ▁Warner ▁Road show ▁Studios ▁on ▁the ▁Queensland ▁Gold ▁Coast , ▁and ▁the ▁film ▁opened ▁ 4 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁By ▁mid - M arch ▁the ▁film ▁had ▁joined ▁the ▁top ▁ten ▁World wide ▁Box ▁Office ▁Results ▁( Austral ian ▁Films ): ▁All ▁Time , ▁in ▁nin th ▁position . ▁The ▁world wide ▁gross ▁had ▁reached ▁$ 1 0 8 , 9 4 3 ,