Film Fest Hit and Dementia-Themed Short Film, Good Daughter, Enters the Oscar® Race

As Alzheimer’s Awareness Month begins, Oscar®-buzzed Good Daughter shines a light on elder financial abuse in dementia care. Starring Samantha Sloyan.

LOS ANGELAS, CA, UNITED STATES, November 6, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As Alzheimer’s Awareness Month begins, Good Daughter, a dementia-themed short film that explores elder crime in dementia care, enters the 2025 Oscar^® Race for Best Live Action Short Film. Directed by Rachel Annette Helson, this gripping narrative follows a woman who cons dementia patients by pretending to be their daughter – stealing cash and pawning valuables for a deeply personal reason that blurs the line between right and wrong.

Starring Samantha Sloyan (Midnight Mass, Grey’s Anatomy), Good Daughter explores the rampant issue of financial exploitation of vulnerable seniors with a creative twist.

“Both of my Grandmothers passed away from Alzheimer’s,” shared Helson. “My family spent lots of time in the memory care facilities with them, but not everyone was so lucky. I saw a lot of lonely, abandoned people who had few visitors and no one by their side as they were dying. Good Daughter grapples with complex moral questions as it looks at someone who gives time to patients in their last days – but takes valuables in return. And there’s a great twist at the end that really brings it full circle.”

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of cases. According to the National Institute of Health, financial abuse and fraud frequently target people with dementia, often perpetrated by strangers or even those posing as family members.

The film also highlights the growing presence of female creators in Hollywood, both in front of and behind the camera. Helson, an advocate for stories featuring women over 40, says, “As a female filmmaker, I tell stories about messy, complex women who are rule breakers and risk takers. I believe that women only get better and more interesting with age, and I want to explore a wider spectrum of stories about women over 40.”

After premiering at the prestigious Oscar-Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA, Good Daughter made waves on the festival circuit and has been long-listed for the 2025 Academy Awards in Best Live Action Short Film category. The film is now live in the Academy Screening room, and it is in consideration to advance to the prestigious Oscars^® shortlist. The 15 shortlisted movies will be announced on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, and Academy Award Nominees will be chosen from the shortlisted films.

The general public can see Good Daughter online on Omeleto’s Channel (3.77 million subscribers) as well as on their For Your Consideration Oscar Playlist. She and writer Jesse Harris (Marvel’s Jessica Jones) are currently developing the story into a feature film.

About the Director:
Rachel Annette Helson is a New York City based Director repped by Buchwald. She tells stories about messy, complex women who are rule breakers and risk takers.
In May 2024, she directed her fourth feature film: an adaptation of the Bestselling novel The Air He Breathes written by Brittainy C. Cherry. Her most recent short film Good Daughter starring Samantha Sloyan (Midnight Mass, Grey’s Anatomy) premiered at HollyShorts Film Festival and is Oscars^® Qualified for the 2025 Academy Awards in the Best Live Action Shorts category. It is currently being developed into a feature film.

As a character-driven director, Rachel is heavily influenced by her acting background. Select credits include: Full Circle, The Knick, Law & Order: SVU and Power.

Rachel is a proud member of Film Fatales, the Alliance of Women Directors and SAG-AFTRA – as well as an alumna of NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She also holds the distinction of being the Youngest Producer in Broadway history to be Nominated for a Tony Award for her work on Neil LaBute’s reasons to be pretty.
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Good Daughter is currently making waves on the festival circuit and has qualified for the 2025 Academy Awards in the Best Live Action Short category. Below are some of the prestigious festival selections and nominations from the 2023-2024 season:
OFFICIAL SELECTION HollyShorts 2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION Catalina Film Festival 2023 (Best Actress Nomination - Samantha Sloyan)
OFFICIAL SELECTION Centre Film Festival 2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION Spokane International Film Festival 2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION Sunscreen Film Festival 2024 (Best Short Film Nomination)
OFFICIAL SELECTION Cinema Femme Film Festival 2024
WINNER Central Florida Film Slam 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION Roxie First Look Program 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION Full Bloom Film Festival 2024
SEMI-FINALIST Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION Cindependent Film Festival 2024 (Best Actress Nomination - Samantha Sloyan, Best Drama Short Film Nomination)

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Good Daughter, Directed by Rachel Annette Helson & Starring Samantha Sloyan