David Lister
David Lister’s films have encompassed a variety of genres and he is considered
one of the most prolific film and television directors from South Africa.
Lister has won 10 directing awards and numerous actors and technicians have
won awards for their work under his direction.
Lister grew up on a farm in Mpumalanga Province South Africa.
He studied Fine Arts at the Pretoria Art School where he was considered an
exceptionally talented student.
As head of the props department and co-head of the scene painting department
at the Performing Arts Council Transvaal (PACT/TRUK) he was involved in 40
opera, ballet and drama productions.
At the age of 22 he designed the sets for “Vrydag” and the hugely popular
Afrikaans play “Die Drie Van Der Walts” directed by Francois Swart.
While in the theatre he supplemented his income by painting and undertaking
commissions. He continues to paint to this day and regularly exhibits his work at
a Jeffry’s Bay gallery. His paintings are in private collections in South Africa,
Australia and the US.
After a brief period as a documentary film cameraman at SABC TV, he left South
Africa, to study in the UK.
Graduating with first class honours from The London Film school in 1974 he
returned to South Africa to work as a film and television director.
In the early years at SABC TV as a Principal Producer/Director, Lister directed
memorable documentaries such as “The Forgotten Children” (handicapped
children)“The High Cost Of Dying”(The funeral business)”The Health Business”
(alternative medicine)and iconic sports documentaries “ The Agony and the
Ecstasy” (Athletics)”The Punch and Judo Show” (wrestling)”The July” (horse
racing),”Before The Wind”(sailing) and “Journey of Dreams” (Ladysmith Black
Mambazo).
Lister created and directed the immensely popular “Video 2” and “What’s
Happening?” SABC TV series for teenagers before progressing to television
dramas and feature films.
In a career spanning 40 years he has directed 16 cinema & telefeatures, 12
television drama series totaling 125 episodes, a 52 part puppet series and 63
documentaries commercials and corporate videos.
Lister has worked in Australia and the UK and his productions have been widely
distributed internationally, appearing on SABC TV, Mnet, BBC TV, ITV, Disney,
Fox, HBO, RTL2, and Sky. Eight of his films have been released theatrically in
the US, UK, Ireland and South Africa.
He has been nominated for 13 directing awards. He won 6 Artes (the South
African equivalent of the “Emmy”) and 2 Star Tonight! (South African national
critics) directing awards for the television dramas “Riding High”, “John Ross”,
“Barney Barnato”, “The Big Time”, “Konings” a Fespaco jury directing award for
“Soweto Green” and a finalist award at the New York Film and TV festival.
His two Leon Schuster feature film comedies “Oh Shucks, Here Comes UNTAG!”
and “Panic Mechanic” broke South African cinema box office records.
Selected filmography
River Horse Lake
My Friend Angelo
John Ross-An African Adventure
Barney Barnato
The Rutanga Tapes AKA Desert Chase
Oh Shucks, Here Comes Untag AKA Kwagga Strikes Back
Konings
The Big Time
Where Angels Tread
Soweto Green
Legend of the Hidden City
Panic Mechanic
Dazzle
The Meeksville Ghost
Askari
Story of an African Farm AKA Bustin’ Bonaparte
Known Gods