About
Shantal Reich
Shantal is a filmmaker, lyricist, musicophile, activist, painter, and animal lover. She is a storyteller through-and-through.
At 13 years old, she started writing lyrics and sending them off to bands and A&R executives hoping her words will resonate with others. Her first collaboration was with a pop artist signed to Universal Music Group.
She then started making films and has been doing so since she entered the 9th grade. For almost a decade she has received several awards, recognition, and press online, in print, and on TV for her films and music videos. Her films have been distributed, screened and have pleased crowds across America and internationally.
Her first project was a professionally made music video, “Now I See The Light”, for a band that had a spotlight in Rolling Stone magazine. She was 14 years old. Her next professionally produced film was “The Child”, a music video with a narrative. When it was completed at the age of 16, she put together a red carpet event at a major theater in San Diego and screened her film as well as showcased other short films by her friends and mentors. Shantal brought 200 people to this event. She went as far as getting herself interviewed in the local newspapers and TV station to help promote the screening.
Shantal directed “A Strange Day in July” which received a plethora of awards and recognition for the acting, directing, writing, and music. The star of the film, Dawson Dunbar, received a Young Artist Award for his acting in the film. Additionally, his co-star, Eliza Faria, was nominated for her acting in “A Strange Day in July” for this award. This film has received a distribution deal as well.
One of her greatest role models growing up is Mulan. Throughout her story she hides that she is a woman to accomplish her goals but in the end, she triumphs not in spite of the fact that she is a woman, but because of it.
With this as inspiration, Shantal created her thesis film, Ticketed, an action comedy film. It’s about a small town cop who wishes for a little more spice in her life, and spice is exactly what she gets when a band of thugs come to town! The story is about a woman, not a cliché, not a stereotype. She is a complex woman who thinks and lives and solves her own problems. This film has also received several awards and landed a distribution deal.
After finishing school at the top of her class she already had a portfolio of 35+ films working with exceptionally talented actors, cinematographers and animators. She lives for the excitement and unexpected challenges that come with directing, however, Shantal is also a highly skilled editor and excels at the difficult skill of communicating with composers and musicians, clearly articulating what needs to come out of the score to take a film to its highest potential.
Shantal went on to work in casting for shows on ABC, Sony, NBC, Disney, Netflix, Hulu, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, TruTV, Showtime, and YouTube Red, and then managed one of the largest acting studios in Los Angeles.
Afterwards, she expanded her work, dedicating herself to the nonprofit philanthropic world. She leverages her marketing expertise to amplify voices, both human and animal, and to connect with all kinds of people with the shared purpose of protecting all life. Her experience in fundraising, marketing, communications, and film directing enables her to highlight these voices in a way that connects, creates empathetic relationships, and builds communities worldwide.
Shantal has led teams in various organizations dedicated to engaging people to take positive action promoting female empowerment, wildlife conservation, equality of opportunity, artistic expression, health equity for young people, animal rights, and veganism.
She also makes things look pretty. Shantal works every day to win the hearts and minds of others for the greater good.
Shantal is currently working in Los Angeles and plans to inspire audiences all over the world with exciting, entertaining, and meaningful art, music, and films. And in between all of that, she advocates for COVID survivors and Long Haulers, she cares for guinea pigs, dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, turtles, and fish (not all at once although her dream is to have a ranch and animal rescue!), and volunteers for the Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue and Farm Sanctuary. ❤️
Ok. Now I’m done talking in third person, pretending someone else wrote this.