Shanti Scalpello is a 20 year-old director, writer and producer currently in her final year at the University of Manchester working towards an English Literature & Film Studies BA degree. She started her career as an actor, working with various theatre companies including Stratford Theatre Royal and National Youth Theatre, becoming a member of the company at 15 and contributing to multiple Research & Development projects. Signed to Davis Gordon Management at the tender age of 12, Shanti continues to audition for numerous roles alongside showcasing her own writing and performing at theatres such as the Tobacco Factory, Bristol. Beginning to experiment with her own camera, her love for music led to her videography work for music event companies such as Sexy Lady Massive and South Section, as well as cutting personal projects on Premiere Pro. Pursuing her passion for the creative industry, she trained in Scriptwriting at the Donmar Warehouse Company and took part in their careers initiatives through her later teen years. This is where she began writing what would become her first debut short film ‘JADED HAZE’, to be released in 2025. She worked with a talented ensemble cast of up-and-coming actors from the National Youth Theatre and other companies and a minimal crew to bring her rites-of-passage nightclub narrative to fruition, exploring relevant contemporary themes of spiking, sexual assault, drug-taking and power dynamics.

Alongside her degree and post-production on this first short, Shanti was approached to direct her featurette ‘WHERE YOU AT’; a story of love within London’s youth culture scene, undertaking a role as both director & co-producer. Navigating a significant budget, 30-person crew, multiple locations and time-intensive shoot days, Shanti gained first-hand experience of the vital role of a producer. In the same year, she also took on the role of Assistant Director in a fictional short directed by Matar Ismael, ‘72’, based on his experiences as a political prisoner during the Syrian Revolution. Additionally, Shanti has gained a wealth of work experience in the creative industries; from working part-time for Scalpel & Mack Films proofreading scripts, assessing pitches and collating research for clients to in-house production running at Marshall Street Editors.

Shanti is primarily interested in telling stories that center on the experiences, challenges and triumphs of young women. In an industry and world where the perspectives of young women are still marginalised and misunderstood, she aims to create realistic and powerful representations that offer a mirror to young women seeking themselves on screen. Themes of youth culture and autonomy are deeply important to Shanti’s vision as she hopes to inspire, connect, empower and celebrate through cinema.

Alongside post-production on ‘WHERE YOU AT’ and her degree, Shanti is currently writing and developing her own scripts and has been approached to direct a music video promo for ‘Pedestrian Band’.