The director of The Twilight Saga: New Moon has defended a 22-year-old woman who was arrested after taping three minutes of the hit vampire versus werewolf movie.

Samantha Tumpach spent two days in jail after theatre bosses spotted her capturing scenes from the film on her digital camera during her sister's surprise birthday party at a cinema in Rosemont, Illinois on November 28.

She now faces up to three years in prison over a felony charge of piracy - but filmmaker Chris Weitz has questioned whether Tumpach should be punished, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Weitz tells the publication, "There is, needless to say, a difference between trying to protect the copyright of a film and making an unfair example of someone who clearly seems not to have any intentions towards video piracy...

"Needless to say, the case seems to me terribly unfair and I would like to do what I can to address this. I am not sure what effect I would have on the case... The film is, after all, not my property."

Weitz has been in touch with bosses at Summit Entertainment, the film studio who released New Moon, to express his concerns.

Tumpach maintains she had no intention of selling copies of the movie, insisting the footage also included film previews.

She says, "Everyone is so surprised it got this far. You can hear me talking the whole time (in the clips)."

Tumpach is due in court on 17 December.