Industry Film Products Motion Pictures | Area served New Zealand Founded 1948 | |
Headquarters Wellington, New Zealand Founders Alun Falconer, Roger Mirams | ||
The Pacific Film Unit was established in Wellington, New Zealand in 1948 by ex-National Film Unit staff Alun Falconer and Roger Mirams. At this time most films produced in New Zealand were documentaries made by the government’s National Film Unit. In 1950 John O'Shea joined; 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.
The company had an office in Courtenay Place, Wellington in 1960, and was the New Zealand representative for British Movietone News and Fox Australian Movietone News. In 1969 the company had a staff of 15, the facility was in Kilbirnie and the office in Lower Hutt, and the company also represented Hearst Metrotone News and BBC Television. 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 (1966).
Pacific Films produced scores of road safety dramas, rugby tests, documentaries and commercials (O’Shea).