Eden Quine-Taylor is our One to Watch for 2022

Congratulations to Eden Quine-Taylor, aged 18, from Crickhowell in Wales, who has won our Ones to Watch award (sponsored by EON Productions) at the 2022 Into Film Awards. The award was presented by actor Samuel Adewunmi.

Ones to Watch is an award developed in partnership with BFI Film Academy to recognise three phenomenal young people who have already impressed in the world of film, and each of the three young people will receive industry mentoring to help support their film journey. While all three nominees are phenomenal young talents, this year's ultimate Ones to Watch award goes to Eden, who also receives a cash prize of £1,000.

Eden is a former Into Film Award winner, picking up an award for her film I'm the One at the 2020 Into Film Awards, has been a member of the Into Film Cymru YAC (youth advisory council), and is about to begin studying Film Production at the Arts University of Bournemouth.

"Ones to Watch' is a particularly special nomination: the possibility that the jury at Into Film has seen potential in my filmmaking for the future is such an inspiring prospect", said Eden. "I was always that kid on the playground that would rather recite every scene in Harry Potter than play a game of tag. From a young age I discovered that filmmaking provided me with the ability to construct whatever narrative excited me at the time, which was an eye-opening and thrilling concept. I hope to see myself in the future with a film production company and creating feature films that all audiences can resonate with."

About Eden

Eden's love for filmmaking began at a young age, and she made her first film Happy Ever After aged just 13. The film went on to win an award at youth film festival in California. Her film I'm the One was so successful that we at Into Film (in collaboration with Kidscape) created an educational resource using the film as a basis for discussing a myriad of mental health issues with young people. Eden has since become an ambassador for Kidscape.

During lockdown, Eden's filmmaking endeavors continued, winning her numerous awards, including PQATV Young Filmmaker of the Year, the U21 Rising Star Award at Carmarthen Bay Film Festival, and Wales International Film Festival Best Film 21 and Under.

Eden is also an ambassador for the organisation CMTC-OVM (a worldwide non-profit organisation that aims to support patients of families with vascular abnormalities) - an organisation for which she is also a patient herself. She has created promotional videos for the charity and continues to support them by using her filmmaking skills to help raise awareness of rare diseases. "Eden has never let having a rare disease define who she is," explains her mother Sharon. "She welcomes her unique perspective in life because of it, and is proud to be in a position when she can help others question, discover and accept who they truly are through her films."

Eden has been approached to film videos for numerous charities and organisations, as well as videos for her own school, and even dipping her toe into music videos. Her passion and drive go beyond filmmaking projects, though, and Eden has already been an instigator of change within the Welsh curriculum.

When Eden started her GCSE Photography course, she approached her teacher to ask if she could use the medium of film. This was something that had never been done before but her teacher consulted with the WJEC exam board who came to meet Eden at school. Eden was given permission and henceforth became the first student on the WJEC GCSE Photography Spec to complete her coursework completely and entirely through film. Her work has since been selected for use as an exemplar for future students in Wales.

Another example of Eden's drive can be seen in the fact she has taken up learning Mandarin, inspired by her Chinese-born grandmother. "It is Eden's desire to break both the language and cultural barriers through the medium of film; to be able to nurture mutual understanding and respect between different cultures", mother Sharon explains.

• Are you 16-19? Passionate about film? Want a career in the film industry? Then the BFI Film Academy is for you. Find out more about BFI Academy opportunities.