Recent News
November 2023: Romantic comedy THE ENGAGEMENT DRESS (directed by Rachel) is released as a TUBI Original - starring Mike Manning, Angel Prater, Lisa Thornhill & Cathy Marks
August 2023: GOOD DAUGHTER (directed by Rachel, starring Samantha Sloyan & written by Jesse Harris) debuts at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood as an Official Selection of HollyShorts 2023
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 director repped by Buchwald for narrative film.
Her latest short film GOOD DAUGHTER starring Samantha Sloyan (MIDNIGHT MASS, GREY’S ANATOMY) premiered at the Oscar-Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, and it is currently on the festival circuit where it has been an Official Selection of Cinema Femme FF, Spokane International FF, Centre FF and Catalina FF among others. The short is being developed into a feature film. Her 2019 short film HATCHED (starring Melissa Ponzio) played at festivals across the US, and in recognition of her work, she was named a New Director to Watch by Shoot Online Magazine.
Rachel’s feature-length TV Movie directing credits include THE ENGAGEMENT DRESS (2023,) HOW TO LIVE YOUR BEST DEATH (2022) and THE GIRL IN THE WINDOW (2021.)
As a character-driven director, she is heavily influenced by her acting background. Select credits include: FULL CIRCLE (directed by Steven Soderbergh – TRIBECA PREMIERE,) THE KNICK, LAW & ORDER: SVU and POWER.
Rachel is a proud member of Film Fatales and the Alliance of Women Directors - as well as an alumna of NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She 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 – and has been featured in publications like the New York Times, Backstage and Forbes.
"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