Screenwriter, Producer
Shontell Leah Ketchell is an emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander screenwriter and producer based in Gimuy/Cairns, Far North Queensland.
As the founder of Pandamonium Films, Shontell is dedicated to amplifying authentic First Nations stories through both scripted and factual content. Since completing an Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Feature Film from the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in 2019, she has established herself as a dynamic storyteller and creative leader. Shontell's portfolio spans several critically acclaimed projects. She was part of the seasonfour writers' workshop for ABC's Black Comedy and developed her first feature filmscreenplay, Adorkable, which has received funding from Screen Queensland and Screen Australia. Shontell's commitment to storytelling also led her to write, produce, and feature inSistas in Mining for SBS/NITV, and her short documentary Naytive won Best Documentary at the Cairns Understory Film Festival in 2021.
Her experience extends to children's television, having contributed to NITV's Barrumbi Kids, and she has script consulted on season two of ABC's Troppo. Shontell worked in script development with Fremantle Media and Lone Star Productions on Saltwater Warriors, and she associate produced the KOJO Studios/CBS comedy series Gold Diggers for ABC. Currently, Shontell is working as a writer and producer on the feature documentary Spinifex Gum, and writing and script consulting on the BBC/Paramount production Ghosts. In 2024, Shontell will be part of the Screen Producers Australia Ones to Watch program and will also participate in the Screenworks Producer Elevator Program and the SPA x SBS Producer Program.
Through Pandamonium Films, Shontell is committed to cultural safety and truth-telling, producing projects that resonate with both local and global audiences. Her work with major broadcasters such as ABC, SBS, CBS, NITV, Paramount, and BBC is testament to her dedication to diverse and Indigenous-led storytelling and her impact on Australia's film and television industry.
Celebrating the power of popular screen consumption for good. In the past century blockbusters would often have a moral message hidden in the drama. Nostalgia has re-entered the cultural conversation and in an era of permanent crisis and digital overload, audiences are gravitating towards two ends of the spectrum- the familiar retro aesthetics, reboots, and stories that echo a time when narratives felt clearer and more human, and then on the other side, horror and true crime is more popular than ever. How can the rise in catalogue- viewing both in cinemas and on screen be treated as a signal for creators today, and can filmmakers and brands combine to save the world?
