At this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival, we sat down with director Harry Sherriff to discuss Misper, his debut feature that blends unsettling realism with sharp dark humour.
What makes the film particularly striking is its speed: from concept to premiere in roughly a year — a rare pace in an industry where first features often take many years to realise. In this interview, Sherriff reflects on that process, his creative influences, and the challenges of bringing the film to screen.
From Shorts to Features
Interviewer: So, how long did it take from concept to finish?
Harry Sherriff: The concept came around April or May last year. We shot in September and finished by April — so about a year from conception to completion. That’s fast for a feature, but we like to be prolific. We don’t want to wait around — we want to make things.
Interviewer: Did you come from making short films, or did you go straight into a feature?
Harry Sherriff: We both came from shorts. My background was focused on short films, and my collaborator Lawrence had written a number of scripts. We met in Manchester through a producer who thought we’d get on — and we did. We made a short together that helped me get onto the directing course at the National Film and Television School.
Later, while I was still at film school, we made another project together. Towards the end of that, we had this mix of apprehension and determination — that feeling of, “let’s just make a feature.” I graduated in February, and by September we were shooting Misper. It was quick, but coming out of that intense environment helped. We’d made several shorts in a short space of time, which gave us a strong shorthand — both creatively and practically.
Choosing the Story
Interviewer: It can be difficult to decide what your first feature should be. What made you choose this story?
Harry Sherriff: We’d been talking a lot about true crime, but we wanted to approach it differently — not from the perspective of the police or immediate family, but from people on the edges. For us, it wasn’t about clues or sensationalism. It was about emotion — how people process events they’re not prepared for, and how those events ripple outward.
Establishing the Tone
Interviewer: The tone feels natural but unsettling, with a strong dark comedic thread. How did you find that balance?
Harry Sherriff: Dark humour is just part of our taste, so it was always going to be there. The challenge was making sure it felt truthful and didn’t undermine the seriousness.
In real life, people often react to difficult situations in unexpected — sometimes absurd — ways. That became a key idea for us. We were inspired by filmmakers like Chris Morris, Roy Andersson and Ruben Östlund, who balance discomfort and humour so well. For Misper, the comedy comes from behaviour — from how characters respond — rather than from the situation itself.
Casting the Film
Interviewer: Did you have actors in mind while writing?
Harry Sherriff: No, we cast afterwards. We worked closely with casting director Verity Naughton, who was a real collaborator. She encouraged us to aim high and reassured us that the script would attract strong actors.
We ended up with a mix of experienced performers and rising talent, including Emily Carey, Daniel Ryan and Samuel Blenkin. Once we met them, it was clear they were right for the roles. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing those parts now.
Challenges During the Shoot
Interviewer: What was the biggest challenge on set?
Harry Sherriff: The driving sequences were probably the most difficult — just coordinating timing, light and weather.
One day we had a lot scheduled, and the light was fading quickly. There’d also been a storm that morning, and we thought we might have to abandon the scene. But the weather cleared, and we ended up with this incredible sky that really added something visually.
Because it was our first feature, we tried to keep things manageable. The script was around 70 pages, we shot over four weeks, and we kept most of the action in a single location — a seaside hotel. That helped us stay focused and keep the atmosphere collaborative.
Financing and Independence
Interviewer: How was the film financed?
Harry Sherriff: It was privately financed. We set up our own company, Pressure On Productions, with the aim of making multiple films — Misper is the first. Having that independence gave us more creative control and allowed us to move quickly, without waiting on long funding cycles. At the same time, we were careful — we worked with script editors and shared drafts widely to make sure the film was as strong as possible before shooting.
Why Edinburgh
Interviewer: Why choose Edinburgh for the premiere?
Harry Sherriff: The Edinburgh International Film Festival was always our first choice. It has a tighter programme, which means films get more focused attention. That felt right for this project. We were lucky that the programming team really connected with the film. Being invited for a world premiere was a huge moment for us.
Interviewer: If you had to sum up Misper in three words?
Harry Sherriff: Funny, dark, emotional.
Interview by Susanda Wolf