Rachel Israel

Rachel Israel is a New York based writer and director. Her feature debut Keep the Change (2017) world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won Best U.S. Narrative Feature, and Best New Narrative Feature Director. It also won Best Debut Film and the FIPRESCI Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Keep the Change opened in theaters internationally in 2018 as a NY Times Critic's Pick, which described it as "a landmark motion picture" which "deserves to be widely seen"; it was critically acclaimed for being a fresh take on the romantic comedy, and an authentic and nuanced portrayal of characters on the autism spectrum. Rachel has taught both screenwriting and directing actors at Columbia University's Graduate Film Program and Rhode Island School of Design. She is represented by Verve Talent & Literary Agency.