A key figure in the birth of New Zealand filmmaking, director John O'Shea was well known for getting the most out of a shoestring budget, as well as mentoring some of the country's most well-known industry names.
The founder of Pacific Films, O'Shea smashed cultural boundaries with such controversial productions as Broken Barrier (1952), a love story involving a Maori girl and a white boy. In addition to producing newsreels, training films, and documentaries, Pacific Studios also served as a means of training young actors and directors, with O'Shea serving as a guiding figure to such popular Kiwi figures as Jane Champion and Sam Neill. Founding the New Zealand Film Commission, O'Shea was an outspoken advocate of local film, consistently offering advise and support to up-and-coming talents.
On July 8, 2001, O'Shea died in Wellington, NZ. He was 81.
