Then a rising star on London’s stand-up circuit, in the mid-90s Harry Hill made a series of 16mm short films with experimental filmmaker and projectionist David Leister, full of madcap comedic flair and DIY spirit.
We’re delighted to present these rare films projected from original prints, followed by Harry Hill and David Leister in conversation with curator Helen de Witt.
Award-winning comedian, presenter, and author Harry Hill has been one of the UK’s most respected and inventive entertainers for nearly thirty years. Starting with his own ingenious comedy series on BBC Two and Channel 4, he went on to create the multiple award-winning ITV series Harry Hill’s TV Burp, which ran for ten years. He created and starred in three series of ITV’s Harry Hill’s Alien Fun Capsule, BBC Two’s Harry Hill’s World of TV, was the longstanding voice of ITV’s You’ve Been Framed and is now the presenter of Channel 4’s Junior Bake Off.
As an artist Harry has shown his work at the Royal Academy, and his film making credentials have seen him take his film The Last Caveman on a nationwide cinema tour. With long-term collaborator Steve Brown, Harry created Tony! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera], which enjoyed a critically acclaimed, sell-out run at London’s Park Theatre and embarked on a UK tour. Harry has won the Perrier Best Newcomer Award, eight British Comedy Awards, three BAFTAs and a Level 4 BAGA Gymnastics Award (forward roll, cartwheel, crab and roundoff). 2025 will see Harry touring with his Diamond Jubilee Tour, New Bits & Greatest Hits.
David Leister is a filmmaker and performance artist who has lived and worked in London UK since 1979. Taking references from a photographic background, his films explore the diversity of the 16mm medium with the use of hand processing, photograms, archive and performance. He has been an active member of the film community in London since 1983 and regularly assists other artists with the presentation of their film work with his celebrated 16mm looping system. He has over a dozen films in distribution with LUX that are regularly included in international experimental film programmes. He has an extensive 16mm archive of discarded educational and information films from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, which formed the basis for The Kino Club, his platform for combining improvised film and music in an informal cabaret-club setting, with David Leister as host and projectionist.
