Meet Helen Alexis Yonov

Helen Alexis Yonov is a Latvian-American writer-director-producer who was a 2017 jury member at the Festival du Film Merveilleux & Imaginaire and later screened her romantic short film “The Gesture and The Word” at the festival in 2022. She is U.K.-based and works under RWI FILMS with actress-producer Rachel Warren. Her feature screenplay “The Burden of Light” (a romantic drama based in Paris and spans the 1930-40s) has won multiple awards at festivals, including the British Urban Film Festival (BUFF,) the Cordillera International Film Festival, and the Beverly Hills International Film Festival.

Although born and raised in Newport, Rhode Island, Alexis also grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1984-86) and Moscow, USSR/Russia (1990-1992.) Her experiences living and traveling overseas created an appreciation for different cultures and foreign cinema, which influences her as a filmmaker. After moving to Los Angeles in 2002, Alexis began her career working as a Set Production Assistant on such feature films as Seabiscuit, Anchorman, War of the Worlds, and Elizabethtown.

Inspired by her overseas upbringing, Alexis moved to Paris, France in 2011 in order to return to her European roots. It was over the next 7 1/2 years that Alexis wrote both “The Burden of Light” and “The Gesture and The Word,” as well as began directing commercials. During her time in France, she attained her Latvian citizenship, which allows her to work within the European Union (E.U.)

After returning to Los Angeles in 2018, Alexis directed and produced “The Gesture and the Word,” which has screened worldwide, including the Oscar-qualifying L.A. Shorts International Film Festival (2020,) HollyShorts (2020,) and Cleveland International Film Festival (2021.) The film has won 50+ awards, including several Best Director, Best Female Director, and Best Short Film awards.

After five years in Los Angeles, Alexis realized a childhood dream when she returned overseas and made London her home. With Rachel Warren, Alexis is currently developing her feature directorial debut, a psychological Triller. Under RWI Films, Alexis and Ms. Warren are developing a slate of feature films and television shows of differing genres.