Policeman's Balls To Celebrate 30 Years At Film Festivals

Funnyman John Cleese organised the first Ball in 1979 to raise cash for human rights organisation Amnesty International, and there have since been another eight filmed charity events.

The Secret Policeman’s Film Festival will celebrate three decades of comedic and musical performances for Amnesty by over 100 top stars - with a five-week fete taking place in both Los Angeles and New York.

The festival will showcase the multiple films, TV specials, and documentaries that have chronicled The Secret Policeman’s Ball shows, including the uncut U.S. premieres of the three most recent Balls organised by comedian/actor Eddie Izzard.

The shows have brought together the cream of Britain’s comedic performers including former Monty Python cohorts John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and Graham Chapman, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Rowan Atkinson, Billy Connolly, Izzard, Hugh Laurie and Russell Brand.

The Balls have also featured top musical acts, such as Pete Townshend, Sting, Peter Gabriel, U2 and Eric Clapton, who are all featured performing on film.

All nine Balls will be screened at the festivals, which run from 11 June (09) to the end of July (09) and the two events will culminate with an 11-hour marathon event recreating the experience of Amnesty’s landmark 1986 Conspiracy Of Hope concert at Giants Stadium.

A press release reads, "The screening will follow the exact time-frame of the original show, which took place from 12 noon till 11pm on a Sunday in June."