John Banas

Writing

John Banas

John Banas is a New Zealander writer, director, actor and teacher who has, for over forty years, worked extensively in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. He began as an actor, writer and director in Kiwi theatre during the 1970s, Banas increasingly focused on dramatic writing for television from the 80s on. After relocating to Australia, he established himself as a prolific TV screenw…

Known For

BattletruckBattletruck · 1982
Battletruck
4.61982
MovieScience FictionAction
It's the 21st century, the Oil Wars have made a mess of the planet and the land outside major cities is lawless. After Hunter comes to the aid of Corlie, who has run away from the villainous Straker, he takes her to the peaceful community of Clearwater. Unfortunately for the citizens of Clearwater, Straker fully intends to get Corlie back.
Packed AwayPacked Away · 2025
Packed Away
2025
Movie
Em and her father need to pack away her mother's belongings after her passing. A fairly simple act, but a difficult one. And her father really seems to be coping well. Or is he?
The Red Shoes: Next StepThe Red Shoes: Next Step · 2023
The Red Shoes: Next Step
6.22023
MovieMusicDrama
Sam is a gifted young dancer whose world spirals after an unexpected, life-changing event. ​Sam walks away from dancing and ballet, ​but the art form is in her blood, and she can’t resist the temptation to return. ​Life eventually leads Sam back to her old dance school – but not as a dancer. An​ old rival, a long-time crush, and her former dance teacher guide Sam back to​ what she loves most, but ultimately, it’s her own emotions and fears that she must confront to reignite her deep passion for dance.
Destination LoveDestination Love · 2022
Destination Love
5.12022
MovieTV MovieRomance
Madison has the chance to pursue her love of event management when her two best friends announce their engagement. Finding a pre-planned wedding package on a remote island vineyard in New Zealand, Madison teams up with David, the handsome vineyard owner, to re-imagine the event for her friends.
PhonePhone · 1974
Phone
10.01974
MovieDocumentaryComedy
A primer on proper phone manners produced for the New Zealand Post Office.
BombshellBombshell · 2016
Bombshell
4.52016
MovieDrama
How the tragic death of one man triggered a David and Goliath battle between two Allies that echoed around the world and became the catalyst to end nuclear testing in the Pacific.
Bad BloodBad Blood · 1982
Bad Blood
7.01982
MovieThrillerDrama
During World War 2, a farmer in New Zealand murders seven people. The police, along with local Maori trackers, hunt him in the bush country.
In a FlashIn a Flash · 2018
In a Flash
2018
MovieDramaTV Movie
This drama tells the true story of the six Elim College students and their teacher who tragically lost their lives in a flash flood, a traumatic experience for the college and New Zealand.

Filmography

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SiegeSiege · 2012
Siege
4.82012
MovieCrimeHistory
On the 7th of May 2009, Senior Constables Len Snee, Grant Diver and Bruce Miller arrived at 41 Chaucer Rd in Napier to serve a search warrant on Jan Molenaar for the growing of cannabis. This was just a routine warrant, something they had done countless times. What was meant to be an ordinary procedure turned into three of New Zealand’s darkest days and ended with one police officer dead, two officers critically injured and a member of the public fighting for his life. In some fifty hours Jan Molenaar made a permanent and devastating imprint upon the national psyche of New Zealand as he changed the lives of individuals, families, a police community, and a city. The siege was one of the worst and unexpected cases of violence both Napier and New Zealand had witnessed and it was all the more shocking because of its ordinary suburban backdrop.

Writer

Pike RiverPike River · 2016
Pike River
2016
MovieDramaDocumentary
On the 19th of November 2010, the Pike River mine exploded with 31 men trapped inside. In the immediate confusion that followed no one knew what had happened. Within hours two men would manage a heroic escape but 29 remained unaccounted for. Over five days the men’s families and loved ones waited, hoping they would come out alive. Then two further explosions sealed the men’s fate. However, the fuse that would eventually snuff out so many lives was lit decades before. Set in the drama of the five days between the three explosions, Pike River reveals the tragic back story of the mine where pressure for profits would eventually contribute to the deaths of 29 men. Featuring interviews with the Pike River families and scripted drama to depict key events.

Writer

Mirror, Mirror IIMirror, Mirror II · 1997
Mirror, Mirror II
1997
SeriesAction & AdventureFamily
Two families - De Lutrelles and McFarlanes. They both live in the same house, but 130 years apart in time. De Lutrelle's: father Gervaise, mother Violette and daughter Constance. In their age, around the house were goldfields. Family emigrated from France with the remnants of their wealth, and hoping to find gold so they would restore their fortunes. McFarlan's: father Doug, mother Jenny who decided to get in a new business: eco-tourism. Guests will stay with Doug and his family - second wife Jenny, stepson Fergus, daughter Mandy, and sister-in-law Lily, who maked troubles wherever she goes! Doug has also another son, Daniel. When the series begins, Daniel decides he wants to meet the father who left him and his mother Caroline when he was just a baby. He invites himself to stay for the holidays and, with the help of the mirror, he changes everyone's life, his own included.

Director