Rachel Handler (she/her) is a director, producer, writer, and actor known for her stint as Peg Leg Doris on AMC’s “Interview With the Vampire” and her award-winning Slamdance films “Committed” and “HOW MUCH AM I WORTH?” Other acting credits include, “New Amsterdam,” “Goliath,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” “Best Foot Forward,” “Bull,” and “The Upside.”
Handler became an amputee after a tragic car accident in 2012. She believes deeply in the power of stories to create social change and is passionate about healthcare and human rights, particularly within the disabled community. Her TV script, “LAME” was a Semifinalist (top 50) in the Cinequest Screenwriting Contest, and her feature screenplay “Hope for the Holidays” was a Semifinalist in the ISA Emerging Screenwriters Family & Holiday Competition.
As a director/producer/writer she has won numerous awards, including the AT&T Underrepresented Filmmaker Award, Best Writer, Best Awareness, and Best Actor in the Disability Film Challenge, Best International Film in Focus on Ability, and she won the Sundance Co//ab Monthly Challenge. Rachel is currently expanding her healthcare documentary “HOW MUCH AM I WORTH” to a feature film after winning a grant from Easterseals and Adobe this past May.
Her films have been requested to screen globally, from Slamdance in Utah, to Focus on Ability in Sydney, Australia, to Breaking Down Barriers in Moscow, Russia, to Mix CPH in Copenhagen, Denmark. Handler's stories resonate with audiences of many backgrounds around the world. She's been a featured filmmaker at Reelabilities in NY and LA, Glass Ceiling Breakers "Best of Fest" winner in the Hudson Valley and has had numerous films accepted into the Oscar qualifying film festivals Hollyshorts and Heartland.
After performing in the Off-Broadway play, “The Lucky Star,” Rachel played Ani in “Cost of Living” at Philadelphia Theatre Company. When she isn’t performing, writing, or making films, Handler works to expand disability equity within arts organizations, corporations and schools by leading interactive discussions on the importance of building resilience while cultivating compassion.
Handler graduated from Westminster Choir College Summa Cum Laude and has since been accepted into the 1in4 Coalition’s writing mentorship program, Blackmagic’s All Access Collective, Docs in Progress FWD Doc Fellowship, and the Disability Belongs Entertainment Lab. Rachel enjoys swimming in the lake and hiking the local trails with her pups.
Handler became an amputee after a tragic car accident in 2012. She believes deeply in the power of stories to create social change and is passionate about healthcare and human rights, particularly within the disabled community. Her TV script, “LAME” was a Semifinalist (top 50) in the Cinequest Screenwriting Contest, and her feature screenplay “Hope for the Holidays” was a Semifinalist in the ISA Emerging Screenwriters Family & Holiday Competition.
As a director/producer/writer she has won numerous awards, including the AT&T Underrepresented Filmmaker Award, Best Writer, Best Awareness, and Best Actor in the Disability Film Challenge, Best International Film in Focus on Ability, and she won the Sundance Co//ab Monthly Challenge. Rachel is currently expanding her healthcare documentary “HOW MUCH AM I WORTH” to a feature film after winning a grant from Easterseals and Adobe this past May.
Her films have been requested to screen globally, from Slamdance in Utah, to Focus on Ability in Sydney, Australia, to Breaking Down Barriers in Moscow, Russia, to Mix CPH in Copenhagen, Denmark. Handler's stories resonate with audiences of many backgrounds around the world. She's been a featured filmmaker at Reelabilities in NY and LA, Glass Ceiling Breakers "Best of Fest" winner in the Hudson Valley and has had numerous films accepted into the Oscar qualifying film festivals Hollyshorts and Heartland.
After performing in the Off-Broadway play, “The Lucky Star,” Rachel played Ani in “Cost of Living” at Philadelphia Theatre Company. When she isn’t performing, writing, or making films, Handler works to expand disability equity within arts organizations, corporations and schools by leading interactive discussions on the importance of building resilience while cultivating compassion.
Handler graduated from Westminster Choir College Summa Cum Laude and has since been accepted into the 1in4 Coalition’s writing mentorship program, Blackmagic’s All Access Collective, Docs in Progress FWD Doc Fellowship, and the Disability Belongs Entertainment Lab. Rachel enjoys swimming in the lake and hiking the local trails with her pups.