By Lisa CleverdonHE may have been responsible for some of television's biggest advertising campaigns over the past decade, but the name Daniel Barber is not one most people would recognise.

By Lisa Cleverdon

HE may have been responsible for some of television's biggest advertising campaigns over the past decade, but the name Daniel Barber is not one most people would recognise.

Some of the world's biggest companies, including BMW and Sony, have used his talents to promote their products, but up until now the East Anglia director has always stayed behind the scenes.

But all that is about to change with the launch of a career in filmmaking that Mr Barber hopes will propel him to stardom and turn him into a household name.

Mr Barber, from Wattisfield, near Bury St Edmunds, has just returned from Spain where he spent 12 days filming his directorial debut.

The Tonto Woman is a 20-minute short Western about a woman's struggle in the 19th Century to integrate back into society after spending years enslaved to the Indians.

It stars Suffolk-based actor Lex Shrapnel and Francesco Quinn, and was written by Elmore Leonard, the man who penned Hollywood blockbusters Get Shorty and Jackie Brown.

Mr Barber, 39, said: “The film has been a bit of a personal project for me because it is something that I have always wanted to do.

“Everyone had such a great time making the film and we are now working hard on editing and doing all the post-production work.”

Mr Barber hoped that once it was finished, the film would go on show in cinemas up and down the country.

“It would be lovely if the film was made available for public consumption, but unfortunately there are very few outlets for short films,” he said.

“The film is also a great way for me to showcase my talent and it will be nice to have something that can shape me as a director and could allow me to direct the type of films that I want to make.”

Mr Barber added: “A lot of directors used short films as a way to develop their craft when starting out in the business and I am really pleased that I have had the opportunity to make this film.

“I am still working hard on making commercials, but it has always been a dream to break into film directing and I am very excited about how far I can take it.”

lisa.cleverdon@eadt.co.uk