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CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA // Helena is an executive producer and founding partner of ROMANCE FILMS.

As a young film school graduate, she soon realised that production was in her blood. She began her career in advertising at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, where she had the opportunty to learn from and work with some of the best creatives in the world. Over a period of ten years, Helena produced some of South Africa’s most iconic commercials as well as gaining a wealth of crazy and life-changing experiences, like getting lost on a vast salt pan that ended in an epic helicopter search.

In 2002 she joined Velocity Films as Greg Gray’s producer. Since then, their unwavering creative partnership has resulted in a body of award-winning work consistent in quality and concept that continues to this day. Recognised as one of the top creative producers in South Africa, Helena’s relentless pursuit of excellence and her passion for every aspect of the production craft is both respected and renowned. She has developed a particular love for the casting process, due to the narrative and performance-focused work that Greg and Helena have become masterful at creating. Overall, Helena’s signature approach to production comes from an unwavering respect for strong ideas and a drive to always create memorable and evocative films.

Helena and Greg took their creative partnership to the next level with the establishment of ROMANCE, a bespoke production company formed in 2017 with fellow director and producer duo Terence Neale and Rozanne Rocha-Gray. The creative collaboration inherent in the DNA of the company allows both teams to focus on crafting and producing their best work, as well as nurturing up-and-coming directorial talent.