Law firm's lead role in hunt for future film stars

A Yorkshire-based lawyer has now provided advice for a project which aims to find the next crop of directing talent.

Law firm Ward Hadaway's creative industries team has advised the independent production company Candella Films on a collaboration with Salford University.

The project saw them scouring the country for some of the UK's best short films.

Following a judging process, a portfolio of the finest submissions was put together and submitted to a series of international film festivals.

Ward Hadaway's creative industries team, led by Leeds-based partner Laura Harper, prepared the submission documents for the films and advised on various intellectual property and commercial issues relating to the project.

The films in the project included An Act of Love, which was directed by Edward Dick and starred Stephen Mangan and Gina McKee.

Ms Harper said: "Candella is a real beacon for innovative short-form film-making and is doing some great work around the world so it was really rewarding to be able to help them on this project."

As well as its film production work, Candella is also involved in putting together programmes for international film festivals and runs a film-making course – The World According to Film – which works with community groups in Manchester.

Ward Hadaway's creative industries team works with a range of enterprises across the creative, digital and media spectrum.