{{short description|American film director}} {{Infobox person | name = Jake Helgren | image = 20230301 JAKE HELGREN-B01A8256.jpg | alt = | caption = Jake Helgren in 2023 | birth_name = Jacob Helgren | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|11|28}} | birth_place = Elgin, Texas, United States | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Filmmaker | years_active = | notable_works = {{Plainlist}} * ''Dashing in December'' (2020) * ''The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge'' (2024) {{endplainlist}} | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> }} '''Jake Helgren''' (born November 28, 1981, in Elgin, Texas) is an American film producer, director and screenwriter.<ref name="Filmmakers.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.filmmakers.com/contests/2007/win/interviews/jake_helgren.htm |title=2007 FilmMakers International Screenwriting Awards - Interview - Jake Helgren |work=FilmMakers.com |date=2007 |access-date=December 31, 2023 }}</ref>

Helgren studied creative writing at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas.<ref name="Filmmakers.com"/>

Helgren has thrice been nominated for GLAAD Media Awards: in 2020 for ''Dashing in December'' as Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series, in 2023 for ''A Christmas to Treasure'' in the renamed category Outstanding Film – Streaming or TV,<ref name="Variety 2023-04-03">{{cite news |url=https://glaad.org/releases/glaad-announces-nominees-34th-annual-glaad-media-awards/ |title=GLAAD ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR THE 34th ANNUAL GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS |author=GLAAD Media |work=GLAAD |date=January 18, 2023 |access-date=January 23, 2024 }}</ref> and in 2024 for ''The Holiday Exchange'' in the same category.<ref name="Deadline 2025-01-23">{{cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2025/01/glaad-media-awards-nominations-2025-list-1236260334/ |title=GLAAD Media Awards Nominations Revealed; 'Emilia Pérez' Snubbed |author=Erik Pedersen |work=Deadline |date=January 22, 2025 |access-date=January 22, 2025 }}</ref>

Helgren is gay;<ref name="NY Post">{{cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2020/12/09/the-christmas-setup-other-lgbtq-stories-light-up-holidays/ |title=''The Christmas Setup'' and other LGBTQ stories light up the holidays |author=Lauren Sarner |work=New York Post |date=December 9, 2020 |access-date=December 31, 2023 }}</ref> about ''Dashing in December'', he said he wrote and directed the film as an Americana romance and a "love letter to the ending" he wanted in ''Brokeback Mountain''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/18/movies/gay-holiday-films.html |title=Better Than Besties: Why Gay Holiday Films Matter |author=Erik Piepenburg |work=The New York Times |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |date=December 18, 2020 |archive-date=December 18, 2020 |access-date=December 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218180714/http://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/18/movies/gay-holiday-films.html }}</ref>

==Selected filmography== * ''A Carpenter Christmas Romance'' (2024)<ref>{{cite news |title=Sasha Pieterse & Mitchell Slaggert To Lead New Lifetime Holiday Film From Sarah Drew |url=https://deadline.com/2024/10/sasha-pieterse-mitchell-slaggert-lifetime-holiday-film-sarah-drew-1236110219/ |access-date=8 October 2024 |publisher=Entertainment Weekly |date=8 October 2024}}</ref> * ''The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge'' (2024)<ref>{{cite news |title='The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge' Features a Slasher Dressed as Ebenezer Scrooge (Trailer) |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3840045/the-naughty-list-of-mr-scrooge-features-a-slasher-dressed-as-ebenezer-scrooge-trailer/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGp4QRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdd721EN5biVJKOPa2yuzUCcaUvIlGhNuPt6W9AW266kgqS12eseQfFDUw_aem_LwcQxP7bfm9fABkDAVXecQ |access-date=19 November 2024 |publisher=Bloody Disgusting |date=19 November 2024}}</ref> * ''The Holiday Exchange'' (2023)<ref>{{cite news |title=Taylor Frey, Kyle Richards and Rick Cosnett Starring in LGBTQ Romance 'The Holiday Exchange' (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/taylor-frey-kyle-richards-rick-cosnett-lgbtq-romance-1235571974/ |access-date=3 April 2023 |publisher=Variety |date=3 April 2023}}</ref> * ''A Cowboy Christmas Romance'' (2023) * ''Bad Connection'' (2023)<ref>{{cite news |title=Dana Davis and Chris Gann to Lead Horror Thriller 'Bad Connection' From The Ninth House [Exclusive] |url=https://collider.com/bad-connection-cast-dana-davis-chris-gann-ninth-house/ |access-date=3 April 2023 |publisher=Collider |date=3 April 2023}}</ref> * ''The Holiday Proposal Plan'' (2023)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Muhammad |first1=Latifah |title=Tatyana Ali and Jesse Kove star in 'The Holiday Proposal Plan' premiering on Lifetime on Saturday (Dec. 16) at 8 p.m. ET. |url=https://www.billboard.com/culture/product-recommendations/how-to-watch-lifetime-movies-without-cable-1235560296/ |access-date=15 February 2024 |publisher=Billboard |date=15 December 2023}}</ref> * ''A Christmas to Treasure'' (2022) * ''Dashing in December'' (2020)<ref>{{cite news |title=Dashing in December Is the Gay Cowboy Christmas Romance We Need |url=https://www.advocate.com/film/2020/11/13/dashing-december-gay-cowboy-christmas-romance-we-need |access-date=13 November 2020 |publisher=Collider |date=13 November 2020}}</ref> * ''Nightmare Nurse'' (2016) * ''Finding Mr. Wright'' (2011)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name}} * {{Twitter}} * {{Instagram}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Helgren, Jake}} Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:St. Edward's University alumni Category:Film producers from Texas Category:Film directors from Texas Category:American male screenwriters Category:American LGBTQ screenwriters Category:American LGBTQ film directors Category:American gay writers Category:Screenwriters from Texas Category:People from Elgin, Texas Category:LGBTQ people from Texas Category:LGBTQ film producers Category:Gay screenwriters Category:21st-century American male writers Category:21st-century American screenwriters Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people