Visiting Assistant Professor, Media Arts and Culture
B.A., M.F.A. University of California, Los Angeles; Ph.D. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Appointed In
2025
Dr. Rachel Raimist (she/her/ella) is a trailblazing television director and professor whose work centers on smart women, messy families and wild teens.
Her directing credits span drama, comedy, action, musicals, science fiction and fantasy. She has brought her distinctive voice to hit series including Elsbeth (CBS), Bel-Air (Peacock), The Spiderwick Chronicles (Roku), Sex/Life (Netflix) and Wu-Tang: An American Saga (Hulu), among others.
At the Directors Guild of America (DGA), Raimist made history as the first woman appointed Co-Chair of the Special Projects Committee and was named Co-Chair of the Disability Committee by DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter. She also serves as Alternate Co-Chair of the Women’s Steering Committee and formerly held the same role on the Latino Committee. A passionate advocate for equity and representation, Raimist co-founded the DGA’s annual Women’s Day and leads initiatives spotlighting groundbreaking, diverse directors. She continues to champion inclusive storytelling both on screen and behind the camera.
She is a notable feminist scholar having directed the first documentary about women in hip hop, Nobody Knows My Name, and co-edited the first anthology about hip hop feminisms, Home Girls Make Some Noise. She is published in the 3rd edition of Director’s Tell the Story, The Crunk Feminist Collection and numerous scholarly journals.
She is a notable feminist scholar having directed the first documentary about women in hip hop, Nobody Knows My Name, and co-edited the first anthology about hip hop feminisms, Home Girls Make Some Noise. She is published in the 3rd edition of Director’s Tell the Story, The Crunk Feminist Collection and numerous scholarly journals.
When not behind the camera, she teaches directing for Sundance, African Creative Television, the Tyler Perry Dream Collective Director's Workshop, AFI's Directing Workshop for Women, Netflix, the Alliance of Women Directors, Women in Media, Scriptation, the Stowe Story Lab, the Latino Film Institute and top film schools around the world.
rachelmakesmovies.com
rachelmakesmovies.com