Rachel Kwan (they/them) is a “Vancouver”-based film director, screenwriter, production designer, and concept artist. Driven to bring BIPOC/LGBTQ+ voices to the forefront, Rachel creates safe spaces to thrive with proper representation in all her cast and crews. Connecting with like-minded people, Rachel strives to be the influence they needed growing up as a Queer Chinese kid. A graduate from the Motion Picture Arts Program at Capilano University, Rachel is always on the hunt for the next glass ceiling to shatter. Working on traditional, ancestral, and unceded grounds of the Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Whether its commercial or feature length, they believe that every moment is purposeful, and that an attention to detail is the glue to any narrative. Rachel has worked on both union and non-union film sets, finding a soft spot for their indie narratives. In 2019, Rachel made the Top 40 in the Crazy 8s Film competition to write and direct “In Your Shoes”, and again for “MOONBOY” (2020) which begins its festival run this fall. Their production design has also warranted them industry recognition such as in the MOTN’s award-winning horror film “The Ash Under My Nails” (2020), as well as in “Yun Yun” (2022), a MAMM17 finalist premiering this summer. From prep to post, Rachel is fuelled by collaborative team environments and is in perpetual search for new experiences and perspectives to include in their films.
Aside from their freelance work, Rachel is a retro gamer, DND player, and craft beer connoisseur. They are highly ambitious in everything they do, whether that be competitive sports or all you can eat sushi. Though just five-foot-one, they are up for any challenge and are always looking to explore their ever-expanding comfort zone. If you would like to speak with them, they are most likely hidden in an editing cave. Or just e-mail them, that works too.
rachelkwan.ca 