film & tv
amy sparks @ Under New Mgmt
Helena Coan is a British director and writer who works in both narrative and documentary. Her latest narrative work is the short horror film BLOOD RITES, produced by BBC Films. BLOOD RITES has screened at prestigious US genre film festivals including Fantastic Fest and Beyond Fest, as well as numerous BAFTA and BIFA-recognised festivals in the UK. It was nominated for the European Méliès d'argent award and won the Golden Bee for Best Short Film at Manchester Film Festival. BLOOD RITES is now being developed into a feature film, which Helena will direct.
Before this, Helena wrote and directed KEEPSAKE, starring Olivier Award winner Patsy Ferran. KEEPSAKE premiered at BAFTA-recognised Underwire Film Festival, where Helena was nominated for a Screenwriting Award, before going on to play at several festivals across the UK, Europe and the US. Helena also wrote, directed and produced a short dark comedy, DEATH AND DOG WALKING, which premiered at BAFTA and BIFA recognised Aesthetica Film Festival.
Helena is also known for her documentary work. In November 2020, her feature documentary AUDREY, an intimate look at Audrey Hepburn's life, was released to critical acclaim across the world. It was produced by Salon Pictures and distributed worldwide by Universal Pictures. The film secured a theatrical release and was acquired by Netflix in the US, where it became one of the Top 10 most watched films on the platform in new releases.
Helena then made Amazon Original LIONESS which tells the story of boxer Nicola Adams, the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing, and the unjust world of women's boxing. It was released in November 2021 in the UK and US to a positive reception, and off the back of this, Helena is now developing a narrative feature film based on Nicola Adams' life.
Helena’s latest project, THE LIE, is a feature documentary built out of CCTV footage that follows a first-date which ends in horrific circumstances. The film has been released by Sky in the UK, and has now secured a theatrical and VOD release in the US as well as in Australia and New Zealand. The film is set to be released in cinemas and online in Spring 2024.
helena coan
writer director
THE LIE: THE MURDER OF GRACE MILLANE (2024)
Sky Original, GFC Films
A feature documentary built from CCTV footage and police interviews about the
murder of Grace Millane, and the use of the rough sex defense.
The Daily Mail
Cinemaddicts
'Devastating'
Filmweek
'Thoughtful'
The Daily Mail
'Gripping'
Awards Daily
'Holds a mirror up to a society with a problem of violence against women'
AWFJ
BLOOD RITES (2022)
BBC Film, Coven Films
A short horror film about three teenage girls with a monstrous hunger who begin
to unravel in the English Fens.
LIONESS (2021)
Amazon Original
A feature documentary about Nicola Adams, the first woman to win an Olympic
gold medal in boxing.
TV Times
AUDREY (2020)
Embankment Films, Universal Pictures
An intimate feature documentary on Audrey Hepburn.
'Honest, complex
and emotional'
The Sunday Times
'Powerful... directed
with sensitivity and compassion'
The Guardian
'A powerful story of
overcoming adversity'
The Sun
The Telegraph
Morning Star
The Sun
Film Stories
'Intimate... distinctive...bold'
The Times
'A pleasure...well-curated and insightful'
The Hollywood Reporter
DEATH & DOG WALKING (2019)
Trash Panda Pictures, One Five Five
A short dark comedy that tells the story of a dog walker who, after a meeting with
a particularly difficult client, has an existential crisis.
KEEPSAKE (2018)
Vero, Paper Epic
A short drama in which two strangers, brought together by unlikely circumstances,
discover each others hidden secrets.
(c) Copyright 2024 Helena Coan