John Barnett CNZM, ONZM 1945 – 2025
Producer John Barnett was at the heart of the NZ film and TV industry pretty much from its formative years through to today. He’s made multiple films, documentaries and TV series, employing thousands of above and below the line people along the way.
Starting out as Endeavour Productions, through South Pacific Pictures and full circle back to Endeavour, he’s produced projects with directors and editors including John Laing, Michael Horton, John Reid, Roger Donaldson, Murray Ball, Niki Caro, David Coulson, Chris Graham, Paul Maxwell, Roseanne Liang, Eric de Beus, Allanah Bazzard and many other highly reputed NZ screen pracitioners—a veritable who’s who of New Zealand screen.
Barney was as good a businessman as he was a producer. He joined the mad rush to exploit the tax loophole that witnessed the biggest output of New Zealand films we’ve ever seen in the period from the late 70s to 1984, when the government shut it down. Nearly every Kiwi producer and director at the time was in on this heyday of NZ films, which saw the setup of the NZ Film Commission and the establishment of the industry we have today. Later, he went on to make South Pacific Pictures the dominant New Zealand production company for decades, picking up a stake in Kura Productions, Satellite Media and rescuing hip-hop label Dawn Raid along the way. He eventually sold his remaining shareholding of SSP to the UK’s All3Media, which had acquired a majority of it previously.
Barney was always a force to be reckoned with. He was highly opinionated about what he thought was good and bad about the New Zealand screen industry. He went a long way in pursuit of his vision for the industry—sometimes too far—but he approached it with a passion for film and TV that was undeniable.
Across his successful career, he earned the friendship and respect of many, and the enmity of a few. I’ve encountered him many times over the years, but I wouldn’t say I knew him well. He was, though, always cordial to me whenever we ran into each other.
He seemed as active as he ever was before he passed, chairing the Vista Foundation, producing his latest TV series Dark City, lobbying government ministers to see things his way about NZ screen, actively developing projects, and I’m sure a multitude of other screen matters I have no knowledge of. Social media posts by screen industry people over the last couple of weeks highlighted the many good turns he did for them.
At his funeral service, I became aware of some of his other pursuits and the esteem in which he was held by those from different communities he belonged to. His wife made a remarkable speech that so eloquently spoke of the man she knew and loved.
John Barnett was certainly indefatigable. And he’s left an indelible mark on New Zealand’s screen industry.
Moe mai rā, John.
Tui Ruwhiu
Executive Director
Last updated on 4 September 2025
