Since graduating from Southbank in 2023, Rachel has been on an inspiring journey in the world of filmmaking, and her momentum has only continued to build. Now in her second year of university at University Arts London (UAL) studying BA Film and Television, she has already developed an impressive portfolio of award-winning narrative films and powerful documentaries.

Her first-year project, Coming Undone, a psychological short, won several awards and reunited her with the same actress she had worked with during her Grade 12 films. You can watch it here: Coming Undone

Rachel soon discovered a passion for documentary filmmaking, starting with a short film about Slash Arts, a floating gallery she came across on Regent’s Canal. This initial project led to an ongoing collaboration, with Rachel producing a series of documentaries on their art, music and dance events. You can view her first documentary with them here: Slash Arts Documentary

The partnership also took her to Lisbon, where she filmed an art exhibition in partnership with a psychiatric hospital, exploring the connection between art and mental health. Most recently, she filmed a dance festival organised by Slash Arts at Sadler’s Wells Theatre.

Outside of university, Rachel secured a two-month internship on a documentary about MTV, where she worked as a researcher and even joined a shoot with Dave Grohl. This summer, she completed filming The Dig House, a feature length documentary about the excavation of ancient Roman mosaics in the city of Zeugma, Turkey. “It was the hardest but most exciting thing I’ve worked on,” she shares. “We lived with the archaeologists and filmed parts of the excavation that have never been seen by the public.”

In addition to directing and producing, Rachel has taken a strong interest in sound design, learning Avid Pro Tools and exploring how sound shapes the viewing experience. Her dystopian war short film, Institute for Proper Ladies, won Best Sound Design and reflects her growing technical skills. Watch it here: Institute for Proper Ladies

One of her latest projects focuses on TownHome Health, a new mental health service in Brooklyn that offers people a home-based alternative to psychiatric hospitals. For Rachel, who is originally from New York, it was a meaningful return to work on a story close to home.

This October, she received exciting news: a full-time job offer from the production company where she previously interned.

“I have been ready for this since I was sixteen,” Rachel says. “Southbank’s film class truly inspired me to take this as far as I could, and I’m so grateful for that start.”