David Yates makes an appearance at a showcase of films he backed

David Yates is the director behind four of the Harry Potter films and the Fantastic Beasts films. He is also passionate about helping the next generation of filmmakers starting their careers in the United Kingdom. He recently returned to the town where he got his start to witness that legacy in action.

Create Studios

The town of Swindon in the southeast of England known various museums, parks,, and various performing artists, from Doctor Who's Billie Piper to The L Word's Rachel Shelley. It is also where David Yates filmed When I Was a Girl in 1988. At the time, the local studio was known as Media Arts.

Swindon is now home to Create Studios and Yates is involved to this day through the Create Studios Short Film Fund. Joe Green of the Swindon Advertiser reported that Yates recently returned to the Studios. Says Yates, "I really enjoy giving back to the organisations that gave me a lit up." The acclaimed director went on to say that "When you start in this business there are a lot of hurdles to navigate so if there's anything I can share to help I will."

Says Green,, "Create Studios is a community-focused production company and informal cinema in the Carriage Works on London Road.." Yates has spoken of how he relied on people involved locally, saying, "There wasn't another filmmaker of my experience now in the Create ecosystem back then to act as a mentor, but there were always people you could talk to about what you were doing."

The Short Film Fund has sponsored directors Daniel Granville, George Green, and Louis Hickford and given them access to equipment and a budget of 1,000 pounds each. Said Daniel of the creative process for Ghost Story, "The only way to learn how to make a film is by making a film, and the process of writing it to realising it has helped us grow as writer-directors." Louis directed Kevin at Work, based on a scrpt from his university days. It was one he "always wanted to make, so this was a great chance to do so." Finally,, George, the director f Heaven Spot, said that "A big part of the project was learning how to do special effects."

Yates used the screenings as a chance to teach, but said that "Often people are just finding their voice and their feet at this early stage so it's not my role to be too critical."