Rachel McDonald

Rachel McDonald is an award-winning director and writer whose body of work spans commercials, music videos, documentaries and short films. She was born and raised in a small coastal town in Mississippi, where she absorbed the rhythms of storytelling from a young age. On a mission to tell meaningful stories, McDonald sought inspiration in unfamiliar places like Jordan, Uganda and Egypt. She has written and directed multiple award-winning short films including Thirst, starring Melanie Griffith, which was nominated for the Golden Pardino at the Locarno International Film Festival (2014) and won at the Emerging Cinematographer’s Awards. She co-directed Dancing Warrior (Mountainfilm 2024) with Peter Goetz.