helena coan
writer director
film & tv
amy sparks @ Under New Mgmt
personal email
about
Helena Coan is a British director and writer, who works in both narrative and documentary.
Her first narrative short film KEEPSAKE, starring Olivier Award winner Patsy Ferran, premiered in 2018 at BAFTA-recognised Underwire Film Festival, where she was nominated for a Screenwriting Award, before going on to play at numerous festivals across the UK, Europe and the US.
In November 2020, Helena's 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 got a theatrical release and was also acquired by Netflix, where it became one of the Top 10 most watched films on the platform.
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 wrote, directed and produced short dark comedy DEATH AND DOG WALKING, which premiered at BAFTA and BIFA recognised Aesthetica Film Festival. Then she directed BLOOD RITES, written by Polly Stenham (The Neon Demon) and produced by BBC Films and Coven Films. The short has screened at numerous prestigious genre film festivals around the world including Fantastic Fest and Fright Fest, as well as at BAFTA and BIFA-recognised festivals such as London Short Film Festival, Norwich Film Festival, Manchester Film Festival and Underwire. It was nominated for the Méliès d'argent as part of Slash Film Festival and won the Golden Bee for Best Short Film at Manchester Film Festival.
Helena is currently in post-production on a feature documentary with GFC Films and Sky, and is developing narrative ideas.
(c) Copyright 2023 Helena Coan
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.
'Honest, complex
and emotional'
The Sunday Times
'Powerful... directed
with sensitivity and compassion'
The Guardian
'A powerful story of
overcoming adversity'
The Sun
AUDREY (2020)
Embankment Films, Universal Pictures
An intimate feature documentary on Audrey Hepburn.
'Intimate... distinctive...bold'
The Times
The Telegraph
'A pleasure...well-curated and insightful'
The Hollywood Reporter
The Sun
Film Stories
Morning Star
KEEPSAKE (2018)
Vero, Paper Epic
A short drama in which two strangers, brought together by unlikely circumstances,
discover each others hidden secrets.
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.
