Biography and Journey of Veteran Screenwriter Keith Kjornes

Keith Kjornes - The Begining of his Writing Career

Keith is a twenty-five year veteran of the Texas Independent Film community where his versatility and speed has garnered him local and national attention. Cutting his teeth in the Dallas / Austin / Houston film corridor in the 80's and 90's, he has written thrillers, horror and comedy for a diverse group of clients, directors and producers. Whether it's black urban gangsta movies for Tanya York's York Entertainment in sunny California or romantic rapper comedies for Doug Schwab's Maverick Entertainment in sunny Florida, his ability to "switch gears" has kept his skills in demand.

He is the man behind the most infamous corporate “thriller” ever produced, RISKY BUSINESS: VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE for PrimeMedia in Dallas. As writer, director and editor of this “Corporate Training Video”, he crafted a 39-minute murder mystery inside the clients Human Resources Educational Video, where an employee of a fictional company is killed on the job-- by another employee! Then using the details of Dr. Lynn McClure's book of the same name, the video examined the “detective work” corporate supervisors would need to identify employees at risk-- hopefully before the “violence in the workplace” actually occurs. Told primarily in flashbacks, the video dealt with a set of detailed "dangerous behaviors". When previewed at a Human Resources Convention in San Francisco in 1998, this dark and disturbing video pulled in over 300 requests for screening copies the first day, a record for that company that stands to this day.

His latest sci-fi / horror script, ICE44 (Now "The Devil's Tomb"), wrapped production in January of 2009 and stars Cuba Gooding Jr, Ray Winstone, Ron Perlman and Henry Rollins. Produced by the legendary Sid Sheinberg and the Bubble Factory, whispered word on the street is it might get a 2009 theatrical release through Paramount. We'll see.

Now in pre-production, REVERSAL, his latest thriller, is in pre-production pending start date. It's a social horror film about a young girl, a sex captive chained in the basement, who makes good her escape and turns the tables on her captors.