Recent News
April 2024: Directed the feature film adaptation of the Bestselling novel THE AIR HE BREATHES by Brittainy C. Cherry
April 2024: GOOD DAUGHTER (directed by Rachel, starring Samantha Sloyan & written by Jesse Harris) becomes Oscar Qualified for the 2025 Academy Awards in the Live Action Short Film category
August 2023: Signed with BUCHWALD for Feature Film Directing Representation
July 2023: Returned to acting roots to play Charisse on MAX mini-series FULL CIRCLE (directed by Steven Soderbergh & written by Ed Solomon)
Featured in FORBES WOMEN: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerylbrunner/2022/09/08/a-producer-since-she-was-15-this-artist-is-a-creative-dynamo/
Biography
Rachel Annette Helson is a New York City based Film + TV Director repped by Buchwald.
She recently directed her fourth feature film: an adaptation of the Bestselling novel THE AIR HE BREATHES.
In April 2024, her short film GOOD DAUGHTER starring Samantha Sloyan (MIDNIGHT MASS, GREY’S ANATOMY) and written by Jesse Harris (JESSICA JONES) became OSCAR QUALIFIED for the 2025 Academy Awards in the Live Action Shorts category. The short premiered at HOLLYSHORTS Film Festival, and it is currently being developed into a feature film.
As a character-driven director, Rachel is heavily influenced by her acting background. Select credits include: FULL CIRCLE (directed by Steven Soderbergh – TRIBECA 2023 PREMIERE,) THE KNICK, LAW & ORDER: SVU, POWER and the Netflix film THE POLKA KING (SUNDANCE PREMIERE.)
Rachel is a proud member of Film Fatales, the Alliance of Women Directors and SAG-AFTRA – as well as an alumna of NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She also holds the distinction of being the Youngest Producer in Broadway history to be Nominated for a Tony Award for her work on Neil LaBute’s REASONS TO BE PRETTY.
"The young woman wanted to raise some money for charity by putting on a show, and because she was in New York, she decided to stage it on Broadway....It didn't much matter that she was just off the bus from Kentucky, or that she was 17."
- Backstage Profile, 2009
Awards
Tony Award (Nomination), Best Production of a Play reasons to be pretty, 2010
Drama Desk Award (Nomination), Best Production of a Play reasons to be pretty, 2010
Webby Awards (Nomination), Best Writing stalkTALK, 2012
Represented by:
Gordon MacDonald, Daniel Perry & Steve Roy @ BUCHWALD
For Direct Contact or Branded Content Inquiries:
directedbyrachel@gmail.com