David Yates (born 8 October 1963) is an English film director who has directed films, short films, and television productions. He is best known for directing the later four films in the Harry Potter series.[2][3] His work on the series brought him critical and commercial success along with accolades, such as the British Academy Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing.[3]

Yates also worked on various short films and became a television director early in his career. His credits include the six-part political thriller State of Play (2003), for which he won the Directors Guild of Great Britain Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, the adult two-part documentary drama Sex Traffic (2004) and the Emmy Award-winning television film The Girl in the Café (2005).[2][4][5]

Yates is a founding member of Directors UK.[6] He has had a close partnership with Warner Bros. as a director and producer.