Meet our Ones to Watch for 2020

We are extremely excited to reveal the winners of our coveted Ones to Watch Award for the 2020 Into Film Awards - Hedydd, Jack and a shared win for Leoreta and Mahek (following a joint application).

The Award is an official partnership between Into Film and the BFI Film Academy, highlighting phenomenal individuals who have already achieved an incredible amount in the world of film and look set to go much further. All winners will receive a package deal from the BFI including a session from the BFI NETWORK Talent Executive working in the nominee's region, full education accreditation at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival and a free subscription to the BFI Player. They will also play a significant role in our other flagship event, the 2020 Into Film Festival.

Jack (18) Henfield, West Sussex, England

Jack is an extremely talented filmmaker whose suspenseful thriller Suburbia won our Film of the Month competition in April 2019 and has played at a variety of film festivals, from St Andrews Film Festival in Scotland to one in West Bengal, India. His next project, Small Talk, played at Brighton Rocks Film Festival and explores mental health and suicide. The film had a huge impact, with many young people reaching out afterwards to say that it had acutely expressed what they were themselves going through. 

His film, Stand-Up Stanley, is about the nature of ambition and doubt, and recently played the festival circuit. Meanwhile, his most recent short film, Midnight, has been officially selected for the Sunday Shorts Film Festival and will be showing in Lisbon next month and London later this year.

"Being a young filmmaker is hard work", said Jack. "It's expensive and exhausting and exceptionally challenging, but when the audience finally watch, and it affects them in ways that are unexplainable in words but tangible through film… none of that really matters. It is all worth it."

Leoreta & Mahek (17) Westminster Academy, London, England

This duo have proved themselves incredibly passionate and ambitious in their chosen field of film programming. As well as running their own Into Film Club, they were instrumental in organising the Takeover the Future Festival, which included timetabling everything, liaising with all external partners, creating the budget and putting together all promotional activity. Other events they've organised include the Young Power conference and the WaterAid walk. 

Both recently secured work experience with Kudos TV and are running a Year 12 film production club to introduce some of the new media students to the concept of editing. In their area of North Westminster in London, 45% of pupils live in poverty, so having two students completely support the media department is hugely beneficial for their school.

Hedydd (16) Penygroes, Gwynedd, Wales

At just 16, Hedydd has already built up a lifetime of achievements. His love of filmmaking started at 7 when he began making simple stories with his toys. At age 9 he went on a film course at his nearest cinema and after that created a small film called 00M, which went onto win a local film award. 

In the 6 years since then Hedydd has created five short films with his annual film club, formed his own production company, Trac 42, received an award from the Fragments Film Festival for his most high profile project yet (it took a year to develop the script), made a music video for his favourite band, organised an installation at Pontio Arts Centre and very recently started getting paid for his projects.

• Interested in a career in film? The BFI Film Academy offers courses in film skills and training across the UK.