Assoc Professor of Professional Practice, Associate Chair
Rechna Varma produces under her banner Rechna Varma Productions. Recent films include the arthouse feature Hello Darling (2025), winner of the UFVA award of Merit and nominee for a New York Independent Cinema Award, her horror film Do Not Disturb (2023) was theatrically released by Dark Star in the U.S. and available on Shudder. Do Not Disturb won Best Lead Performance at Phoenix Fearcon and the Atlanta Horror Festival, Best Psychological Horror at the Atlanta Horror Festival, and Best Actress and Best Cinematography at the New York City Horror Festival. Her sophomore feature, Catch and Release (2019), is an adaptation of the Pulitzer-nominated play “Keely and Du.” Her debut feature, Margarita (2012), won Best Feature at Inside Out in Toronto, Canada.
Her scripted television work includes serving as Director of Development at Sphere Media Plus on This Life (CBC), the Emmy-nominated and CSA-winning 19-2 (CTV), and Bad Blood (Netflix). From 2011 to 2014, she was Executive in Charge of Production and Post at the Canadian Film Centre in Toronto, where she oversaw 100+ productions per year. She also has producing credits in lifestyle television, including Smart Woman’s Survival Guide (W Network), Party Mamas (Slice), and The Unsellables (HGTV).
Rechna created the series Love Rules, which was in development with eOne. The spec pilot was shortlisted as a semi-finalist for Content London in 2019 and earned her an invitation to the Netflix-Banff Diversity of Voices Initiative Professional Development Program in 2020. The script won an award at the 2020 Panel Presentation and Juried Script Competition for the University Film and Video Association (UFVA) Virtual Conference. In 2024, she won Best Short Script at the Canesfest for A Birthday to Remember.
In 2022, Rechna expanded into directing with her short film Goodbye. In 2023, she directed the music video “Worth It” for Miami-based R&B artist Donnetta Loper. Hello Darling, marks her feature film directorial debut.
Rechna is an Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Associate Chair of the Department of Cinematic Arts at the University of Miami. She holds a BA from the University of Windsor, an MBA from the University of Toronto, and a Global Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Her courses include Designing Innovation, Interactive Media Business Essentials, Creative Producing, The Independent Producer, Business of Motion Pictures, Transmedia, and Motion Pictures Studio. She teaches both undergraduate and MFA students, serves as advisor of the MFA Producing concentration, and has been published in MovieMaker.
Her past work with the Miami Herbert Business School includes executive education on storytelling, design thinking, and communication for clients including Visa, Liberty Mutual, and NBC/Telemundo.
Rechna is a Trustee on the UFVF (University Film and Video Foundation) board and served as a committee member for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation CREATE Grant program. In collaboration with her production company Rechna programs and hosts the University of Miami screening series Indie Night – screening local feature and short films at the Cosford Cinema for the local community.