Pacific Films is a film production company in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It is not to be confused with other companies with the name, including the film company in Hawaii that produced

Phantom Below ''Phantom Below'' (also known as ''USS Poseidon: Phantom Below'' and ''Tides of War'') is the first film released by Hawaii-based studio Pacific Films. Its world premiere was at the Hawaii International Film Festival on March 31, 2005. The film i ...

''.

History

The Pacific Film Unit was established in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

in 1948 by Alun Falconer and

Roger Mirams Roger Eastgate Holden Mirams (16 April 1918 – 26 February 2004) was a New Zealand-born film producer and director, whose career extended over 60 years. Mirams co-directed ''Broken Barrier'', the only local dramatic feature film made in New Zeala ...

, who were ex-National Film Unit staff. At that time, most films produced in New Zealand were documentaries made by the government's

National Film Unit The National Film Unit (NFU) was a state-owned film-production organisation originally based in Miramar, New Zealand, Miramar, New Zealand. Founded in 1936 when the government took over a private film studio, Filmcraft, the NFU produced newsreels, ...

John O'Shea John Francis O'Shea (; born 30 April 1981) is an Irish professional football coach and former player. He was known for his versatility in playing several positions on either side of the pitch or the centre. Born in Waterford, O'Shea joined Man ...

joined in 1950. Falconer left to pursue a career in China and the company changed its name to Pacific Film Productions Ltd. The first feature film was '' Broken Barrier'' (1952), which O'Shea produced and directed with Roger Mirams. In 1956, Mirams moved to Australia, and started a branch of the company in Sydney, though he later formed his own company, Roger Mirams Productions. In 1960, the company had an office in Courtenay Place, Wellington, and was the New Zealand representative for British

Movietone News Movietone News is a newsreel that ran from 1928 to 1963 in the United States. Under the name British Movietone News, it also ran in the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1986, in France also produced by Fox-Europa, in Australia and New Zealand until 197 ...

and Fox Australian Movietone News. In 1969, the company had a staff of 15. The facility was in

Kilbirnie Kilbirnie ( Gaelic: ''Cill Bhraonaigh'') is a small town of 7,280 (as of 2001) inhabitants situated in the Garnock Valley area of North Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland. It is around southwest of Glasgow and approximately from Paisle ...

, with the office in

Lower Hutt Lower Hutt ( mi, Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai) is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. Administered by the Hutt City Council, it is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area. It is New Zealand's sixth most p ...

, and the company also represented

Hearst Metrotone News ''Hearst Metrotone News'' (renamed ''News of the Day'' in 1936) was a newsreel series (1914–1967) produced by the Hearst Corporation, founded by William Randolph Hearst. History Hearst produced silent newsreels under the titles of ''Hear ...

and

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...

. Associated companies were Pacific Television Ltd. and Pacific Films Ltd. John O'Shea was active from 1940 to 1970, and he produced numerous short films, as well as the three New Zealand feature films made in that period: '' Broken Barrier'' (1952) with Roger Mirams, '' Runaway'' (1964), and ''

Don't Let It Get You ''Don't Let It Get You'' is a film made in New Zealand and Sydney, Australia in 1966. It is notable for the period it was made in as well as the popular musical acts that featured in it. Sir Howard Morrison, Eddie Low, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and He ...

'' (1966). Pacific Films produced scores of road safety dramas, rugby tests, documentaries and commercials (O’Shea).

References

*''Don’t let it get you: memories - documents'' by John O’Shea (1999, Victoria University Press, Wellington) *''New Zealand Business Who's Who (1960 & 1969–70)

External links

''Pacific Films'' (including other companies of that name) on IMDb
1950s in New Zealand cinema 1960s in New Zealand cinema Film production companies of New Zealand Companies based in Wellington {{Film-company-stub