Kjerstine Thompson, Filmmaker

Meet Kjerstine, or KJ, a North Dakota native who has returned to her roots after time in other parts of the Midwest. Armed with a Master of Arts in English (fun fact: she’s a medievalist!), KJ brings a unique perspective to filmmaking.

Her love for cinematic storytelling traces back to her childhood, where bouts of illness led her to immerse herself in films. Despite her academic focus on medieval literature and a graduate-level minor in Art History, KJ's journey took an unexpected turn into documentary-style filmmaking in 2022 when she began at Tellwell Story Co. as a content writer. Her work was off-camera, interviewing subjects and writing storylines; she quickly saw the power of documentary-style filmmaking, a departure from her previous, more fantastical-fiction-leaning tastes.

While her career now leans towards content development and writing, KJ believes in film's power as a tool for understanding diverse viewpoints. She believes every camera angle, costume choice, script line, and musical beat offers a unique perspective to the audience. Now, as a content specialist at Tellwell, KJ strategically incorporates film into broader brand and cause narratives, once again weaving storytelling into the fabric of her professional journey.