Jake Helgren

Jake Helgren is an American filmmaker, producer, director, and screenwriter whose work has been concentrated in independent features, television movies, holiday romances, thrillers, and LGBTQ-themed genre storytelling. Born Jacob Helgren in Elgin, Texas, he studied creative writing at St. Edward's University in Austin. Early recognition came through screenwriting competitions, and his career developed around the practical, multi-hyphenate model of contemporary television and independent film: writing, directing, and producing across many projects rather than waiting for a single breakout assignment.

Helgren's filmography includes Finding Mr. Wright, Nightmare Nurse, Dashing in December, A Christmas to Treasure, Cloudy with a Chance of Christmas, Fatal Fandom, Old Flames Never Die, Bad Connection, The Holiday Exchange, A Cowboy Christmas Romance, The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge, and A Carpenter Christmas Romance. Many of these films were made for cable, streaming, or seasonal television audiences, where reliable storytelling, quick production schedules, and clearly defined genres are central to the work. Helgren has often moved among romantic comedy, holiday drama, suspense, and thriller formats while retaining producer or writer responsibilities.

A major part of Helgren's public profile comes from LGBTQ holiday films. Dashing in December, which he wrote and directed, was described by Helgren as a kind of Americana romance and as a corrective to the kind of ending he had wanted from Brokeback Mountain. The film helped place him within a wave of more openly LGBTQ seasonal programming in the early 2020s. He later received GLAAD Media Award nominations connected to Dashing in December, A Christmas to Treasure, and The Holiday Exchange, recognition that points to his role in making queer romance more visible inside mainstream holiday-film conventions.