Rachel Rambaldi (she/her) is a first-generation  Italian American writer/director based in Los Angeles. Growing up equally in Italy allowed her to stay connected to her roots which have significantly impacted her artistry and perspective. Rachel’s short film, Cream or Sugar,(co-written with Sar Artoonian) digs into human identity within colonial structures and premiered at OUTFEST Film Festival 2022. Her latest short HERLY (co-written with Jon Walkup) premiered in 2023 at CinemaFemme Film Festival in Chicago and won her a mentorship with Stephanie Filo (Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story, The Black Lady Sketch Show). In April 2024, HERLY became a Staff Pick on Vimeo. Her background also includes self-expression art facilitation within the autistic, non-verbal community. At the Legacy Center, a non-profit organization that focuses on elevating standards for the neuro-diverse community, she founded and facilitated an art program that functioned from 2017-2020. Due to Covid, the Legacy Center was forced to shut down. But in 2023 Rachel opened up her own art studio to continue her art facilitation and remain connected with her community. Working with people who need access to communication devices to express themselves deepened her listening ability. This opportunity gave her a unique insight into another layer of humanity which ultimately strengthened her collaboration process. While writing, co-writing, and directing her films, she has also produced micro-documentaries and commercial spots for Samsung, ADL (Anti-Defamation League), and the Gender Cool Project with Chicago-based creative agency Swissa Creative, inc. She’s a self-taught 35mm film photographer with a self-portrait published in F-STOP magazine in 2020. Rachel was the only student in her college class to direct a thesis on 16mm film.  Self-generating and producing her own ideas has been her foundation since the age of twelve when she taught herself photography.  Rachel believes creating opportunities to do what you love is the most significant investment. What Rachel enjoys most is making movies with her greatest collaborators, her friends.