Flyover Film Festival

A New York City based Director repped by Buchwald, Rachel Annette Helson tells stories about women who are rule breakers and risk takers.

In May 2024, she directed her fourth feature film: an adaptation of the Bestselling novel The Air He Breathes written by Brittainy C. Cherry - which received praise from critics and viewers alike for its thoughtful handling of the book-to-screen adaptation.

Her short film Good Daughter starring Samantha Sloyan (Midnight Mass, Fall of the House of Usher) was longlisted for the 2025 Academy Awards and won a Silver Telly Award in the Film & Shorts category. The film premiered at HollyShorts, earned accolades at over a dozen festivals in the US and released online as part of Omeleto’s 2025 FYC Playlist.

Additionally, Rachel 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 as character-driven director, her work is heavily influenced by her acting background. (Select acting credits include: Full Circle, The Knick, Law & Order: SVU, Power and the Netflix film The Polka King.)

Her upcoming directorial projects include the feature adaptation of Good Daughter - written by Jesse Harris, Home - written by Ryan Carnes and Trimmers - written by Sam Kressner. She is a proud member of Film Fatales, the Alliance of Women Directors and SAG-AFTRA – as well as an alumna of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Abi Van Andel is an actor and producer holding a BFA in Acting from Syracuse University. After college, she traveled across the US, performing a variety of genres, including Shakespeare and classical pieces, as well as improv and sketch comedy.

Landing in the Midwest, Abi made her first forays into film in ROMAN CITIZEN and IN THE RADIANT CITY (TIFF 2016). More recently, you can watch her handing down justice to Robert De Niro in Barry Levinson's THE ALTO KNIGHTS, opposite Mark Ruffalo as his legal assistant in Todd Haynes' DARK WATERS, as Senator McCarthy's wife, Jean, alongside Emily Bett Rickards, Josh Lucas, and Walton Goggins in Ash Avildsen's QUEEN OF THE RING, or with Alfie Allen in Mike Ott's MCVEIGH (TRIBECA 2024). Abi was seen last fall on Dick Wolf’s long-running procedural CHICAGO PD, and will be featured in the upcoming film SO MUCH FOR LOVE, starring Esai Morales and Finn Wittrock, directed by Lina Roessler.

Abi co-produced the feature films M30Oxy, an Appalachian opioid-fueled drama, directed by Wesley Mullins, and LANDLORD, a vampire thriller with social justice themes, directed by Remington Smith. She traveled to the South of France for LANDLORD’s debut at the Buyers Showcase/Frontières Platform during the 2024 Cannes Marché du Film. Last fall, she completed the inaugural cohort of 502 Film's Narrative Short Film Incubator, the Front Porch Film Lab, and is a founding member of Women in Film KY.

Abi is also a passionate environmentalist, a breast cancer survivor, and an avid traveler who is always seeking her next adventure.

Kerry Bellessa was born and raised in Seattle, WA, which affected his taste in music (90's grunge forever) and his demeanor (so much depends on the weather). As a boy, he grew up loving cinema, wishing one day he too could make movies. He took that dream to The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where he earned a degree in Film and Television. He cut his teeth on set for over a decade, working for acclaimed creators including, David Fincher, Gore Verbinski, and Spike Jonze. His last feature, IMMANENCE starring Michael Beach can be seen on Showtime. His most recent feature film, AMBER ALERT stars Hayden Panettiere and Tyler James WIlliams.

Kerry is a dedicated father of three. His production company, Bluefields Entertainment is known for high concept ideas and ambitious narratives. Kerry's career has been a slow burn, but he already feels like he’s living the dream.

Erica L. Taylor is a documentary producer, impact strategist, and health equity advocate whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, justice, and community transformation. She currently serves as President of the Documentary Producers Alliance (DPA) — a position she holds for a historic third term, making her the first
African American to lead the international nonprofit dedicated to advocacy, sustainability, and equity for independent documentary producers worldwide.

A St. Louis native and Spelman College alumna, Erica's career spans more than two decades across radio, television, and independent film. She began as a national radio producer and on-air talent before transitioning to LA, where she produced multiple episodes of the NAACP Award–winning docuseries UNSUNG and UNSUNG HOLLYWOOD for TV One, a reboot of the cult classic YO! MTV Raps for Paramount+, and the feature documentary THE INVISIBLE VEGAN (Amazon Prime) and short film THE INVISIBLE MERMAID. Her most urgent work is RED ALERT: THE FIGHT AGAINST FIBROIDS (in production), a documentary that expanded into The Red Alert Project — a national impact campaign addressing the reproductive health crisis disproportionately affecting Black women.
Erica is a requested guest speaker at medical institutions and universities across the U.S. and abroad, bringing narrative expertise and lived advocacy to every stage she occupies.

As DPA President, Erica has cultivated significant co-branded partnerships, a vibrant brand refresh, sharpened fundraising and membership strategies, and formed an executive advisory board to broaden the organization's reach across multiple industries. She is actively engaged with the Entertainment Community Fund, the Video Production Advisory Board of Collin College, is a member of the Video Consortium, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, the Global Impact Producers Alliance, and is a long-time member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

A Connecticut native, Harris earned BA’s in English and Political Science from Southern Connecticut State University while working as a film critic for the New Haven Register. He relocated to Los Angeles to earn his MFA in Film and Television Production from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he focused on writing, directing, and editing.

Harris is a 2023 recipient of the Nicholl Fellowship, a prestigious award administered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was one of 5 writers selected from a pool of over 5500 applicants for his achievements in his original script NAT CADY’S BOYS.

Along with a keen eye for recognizing riveting and pertinent stories, Harris is also a talented artist, frequently contributing his storyboarding skills to the ongoing development process.

Ravi Bhatia is a founder and partner of Odd Man Out, a creative production company built on the belief that the most powerful stories live in the smallest details. A Chicagoland native and University of Illinois graduate, Ravi has spent more than a decade behind the camera and behind the scenes, working almost every position in production.

His career spans multiple awards, including a Cannes Lion for an Allstate campaign and an Emmy nomination for his live-action work with the Chicago Bears. He has also directed a live-action PBS television series and led creative studios in the agency world, producing campaigns for brands including McDonald's, Nintendo, BISSEL, and Molson Coors. Across all of it, his focus has stayed the same: craft, humanity, and stories that earn their emotion rather than manufacture it. Whether evaluating a film or making one, Ravi looks for the moments where technical precision and honest storytelling meet, and he believes the best work always finds beauty where no one else thought to look.

John Fitch III has created award-winning independent films, fiction podcasts, documentaries, and experimental videos that have screened at dozens of film festivals, on television, and on podcast streaming channels in the U.S. and internationally.

He has professional work experience in film production, sound design, public and commercial television, news, sports, commercial and corporate video production, copywriting, music recording and producing.

John holds a PhD in Higher Education: Educational Policy Studies, MFA in Film, and BA in Communication. He specializes in teaching film and video production, screenwriting, film studies, film history, sound design, photography, higher education studies, and educational policy and politics.

Chris Morocco, the son of a professional pyrotechnician father, was introduced to the entertainment industry while still in his mother's stomach. In high school, he started creating music and films with one of his best buds to this day, Ryan Coogler. In college, at San Francisco State University, he started his own production company called Movements In Media which operated for a decade and churned hundred of videos.

After some “real world” experience in the Bay Area, he packed his bags and moved to LA, and in 2016 he graduated from the University Of Southern California School Of Cinematic Arts with an MFA in Film Production. A year later, he started his current position as a professor at his alma mater, fight on! Since then, Morocco has taken on the role of Post Production Manager at USC.

The Morocco’s, Chris and his wife Izumi, own and operate a Black Rose Sound which primarily offers production sound recording, and post production sound services for film and new media.

In his spare time, “c-rocc” skateboards, dabbles in music and tries his best to keep up with his YouTube channel dedicated to post production sound and Pro Tools tutorials.

Geoffrey is an ICG Local 600 1st Assistant Camera and Focus Puller. He has been a part of the Kentucky Film community since graduating from the University of Kentucky in 2010. His credits include Commercials, Music Videos, Reality TV, and many Feature Films. While climbing the ladder from Production Assistant to 1st AC, the importance of community and support amongst the film laborers of Kentucky became a priority. In 2019, Geoffrey started Below the Line, a short film night where Louisville filmmakers and film lovers can get together to watch and appreciate each others’ work.

When not keeping actors in focus, Geoffrey enjoys gardening, punk, and petting every cat that will allow it.