Claire Watkinson
CEO & Founder
(she/her)
I lead and manage the day-to-day running of E.D.E.N. I founded E.D.E.N. because I am determined to strive for equality and diversity while raising awareness through my passion that is filmmaking. It has been an amazing journey, meeting and working with so many inspirational people while producing material that is raising vital awareness for key issues.
I work as Project Manager and Lead Facilitator on our projects which train members of the LGBTQ+ community with filmmaking skills. I am also the main camera operator and editor on our work where we produce videos for a range of clients.
I have a BA (Hons) Degree in Contemporary Film and Video and have worked as a freelance filmmaker since 2012 working on a range of projects such as the first same-sex marriage in Sheffield, a short film that was selected for Cannes ‘The Short Corner’ and various other productions including weddings, events, corporate shoots and short films. I also self-shot/directed a feature documentary, Living With Me And My OCD, which currently has over 80,000 views on YouTube.
Thomas Reaney
Chair
(he/him)
Most of my adult, professional life has been spent working at both universities in Sheffield, and being involved in their staff LGBTQ+ networks. This has offered me the opportunity to get involved in some fantastic projects and groups in the city, and E.D.E.N. Film Productions is no exception.
Since 2014’s Families Like Ours I’ve been an avid follower, and have jumped at the chance to spread the word about the fantastic work that E.D.E.N. does. With each project, there is a positive impact on the individuals and communities involved and reflected on film, and having seen this first-hand, it fills me with pride to be Chair of such a fantastic team.
Cyd Sturgess
Director
(they/them)
I’ve been involved with E.D.E.N. on and off since 2015, starting with the inaugural Transforming Cinema Festival and later the E.D.E.N. Shorts workshops in 2016. I have a PhD in Queer Studies and Gender History from the University of Sheffield, and I now work as a lecturer and film festival researcher at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. In this work, I focus on the importance of identity, community-building and care practices in transgender film festivals across Europe. I am also a co-organiser of TranScreen, the Amsterdam-based transgender film festival.
Over the years, I’ve published on queer and trans representation in print media and cinema, and I have also run events and workshops that focus on community building and collaboration. This is why I’m especially excited to be on the board of E.D.E.N. Film Productions, as its commitment to LGBTQ+ arts and activism reflects many of the values I care about: connection, visibility, and working together to create change. As a board member, I hope to support projects that center the agency of LGBTQ+ makers, and that connect queer and trans communities both in the UK and internationally.
Frit Tam
E.D.E.N. Film Club Facilitator
(he/him)
I am a British Chinese, transgender, award-winning documentary filmmaker, photographer, speaker, zine-maker, writer and futurist. I am also the co-director of Sheffield Adventure Film Festival and even more excitingly, the Assistant Facilitator of the E.D.E.N Film Club. My films have solely shared stories from underrepresented communities in the outdoors and adventure spheres, so that anyone who has not seen themselves on the big screen, may finally do so. I aim to bring this same passion of platforming stories from underserved communities to the Film Club, where we can learn, support and thrive together in community. It will be a space for all experiences and all LGBTQIA+ stories, where now more than ever, we need to keep sharing and seeing our invaluable stories on the big screen.
Maddie Lock
E.D.E.N. Digital Facilitator
(they/them)
I’m an award-winning queer, non-binary filmmaker, programmer and facilitator, born in Eastbourne, and based in Brighton. Inspired by seaside histories and minority groups through my experiences within these communities, I hope to capture these once forgotten (or erased) voices through my films, embedding accessibility at the core of everything that I do/make. I have a passion for documentaries, DIY filmmaking, archives, representation on film, and ensuring everyone has an opportunity to create films – all of which I am excited to be bringing into my role as Lead Facilitator for E.D.E.N. Digital.
This inspiration to spotlight underrepresented voices led to the creation of Worm Factory, a Sussex-based collective focussed on providing fully accessible film and arts opportunities to members of the LGBTQ+, with a particular focus on trans/non-binary individuals, and people from working-class backgrounds.
I have been shortlisted and delivered a pitch for the Iris Prize Documentary Film Fund 2024, and was selected for the Short Cut Film Fund 2023/24 by Young Film Network South East. My short films include Monsters (2023) and Welcome to the Puppet Show: A Day at the Circus (2024).
Jay Baker
Consultant
(they/he)
I have been involved with E.D.E.N. Film Productions on and off over the years, both formally and informally as a supporter of the organisation and the good work it delivers.
I am a Fellow of the School for Social Entrepreneurs and have worked in the non-profit sector for nearly twenty years at various levels, as a founder of the FreeTech Project, co-founder of AFC Unity, founding director of Rotherham Open Arts Renaissance (ROAR), and a former elected director of Wilfrid Laurier Students Public Interest Research Group (LSPIRG) while living in Canada. As a freelance facilitator, I have run many projects and workshops, mostly based on the DIY “punk” ethic – focused on listening to and empowering various marginalised communities to overcome oppression and achieve their own aims through being equipped with the support, skills, and tools to do so. In addition, I am a former guerrilla documentarian, and am passionate about the power of media to raise awareness of important issues – and I’m extremely enthusiastic about any opportunity to help the LGBTQ+ community vocalise our experiences, challenges, and needs through the powerful medium of film.
With that in mind, it is a great honour and privilege to be able to assist E.D.E.N. Film Productions build on its incredibly impactful preexisting portfolio in whatever way I can.
