Amber Morgan, LISFF 2026, Short Screenplay Official Selection

- Can you please tell us about you and your daily life?

My daily life is a mix of writing, researching, design work, and spending a lot of time outdoors. I do some of my best brainstorming while walking, exercising, or being outside in nature, especially around the coast. I also spend a lot of time with my family, which keeps me grounded while I am juggling several creative projects at once.

Most days, I am working on something connected to the Nixara’s Awakening Universe, whether that is writing new chapters, developing lore, creating maps, designing artwork, updating my website, preparing for conventions, or working on promotional material for my books and screenplays. My creative life tends to move across different mediums, including novels, screenplays, experimental film, photography, artwork, and world-building. I like having multiple projects alive at once because they often feed into each other.

- When and how did you get into writing/filmmaking?

I have a background in design and hold a Bachelor of Design, so storytelling has always been part of how I work, even before I saw myself as a writer. At first, most of my writing was focused on explaining my design processes, concepts, and the meanings behind my creative work. It was not until I completed a postgraduate qualification in cyber forensics, where I had to write a large, heavily researched assessment on cyber law, that something clicked. I remember thinking, if I can write something that complex and demanding, why have I not finished the book I have been working on for years?

That was really the turning point for Nixara’s Awakening: A Forbidden Quest (Book One). What began as one fantasy book slowly grew into a much larger interconnected universe, with multiple storylines, realms, maps, factions, artwork, and characters all existing across the same world.

My filmmaking journey began with Reverie (2024), an experimental short film I created after graduating. I wrote, directed, filmed, and produced it myself, and it went on to receive international recognition, including an Honourable Mention at the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival and an award at the New Jersey Shorts Awards, along with screenings at The City of Angels Film Festival in Los Angeles and in South Korea. That experience gave me the confidence to keep building stories across different mediums.

Since then, I have continued developing both books and screenplays. My screenplay Baited Silence has been recognised by LISFF as an official selection and was named a Semi-Finalist in the Melbourne International Screenplay Awards, while Ember & I, a short script adapted from one of my short stories, was officially selected for the Love & Hope International Film Festival in Barcelona. Ember & I also won Best Short Script at the New Jersey Film Awards and received an Honourable Mention at the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival.

More recently, I released Where Shadows Bloom: Tamed by Instinct, a sapphic dark fantasy set within the same timeline and realm as Nixara’s Awakening. It is part of the same larger universe, but explores a darker, more mature corner of the world.

For me, writing and filmmaking have become part of the same creative language. Whether I am designing, filming, writing, or building a fictional realm, I am always trying to create something immersive that feels alive beyond the page.

- How often do you write/create/develop ideas? Do you have a writing/creative routine? And what inspires you to write?

I write, create, or develop ideas almost every day. I resonate with Stephen King’s view that once you have an idea, you keep working at it consistently, and that is a big part of why I do not tend to lose motivation. For me, staying engaged also comes from working across different mediums. A lot of my writing begins with design, artwork, or visual concepts before it becomes words on a page, which is why my book covers and visual pieces are often created long before the writing and editing are finished. Once I can see the world clearly in my head, I can start building the story around it.

I am also deeply inspired by my upbringing and the experience of growing up overseas, especially across South East Asia while attending a British international school. Different cultures, landscapes, people, and life experiences naturally find their way into my writing. Nature is another huge part of my idea pool. I spend a lot of time near the ocean or in the ocean, and nothing gets ideas rattling around in your head quite like being picked up by a rogue wave and dumped onto the sand.

- How does it feel to have your work recognised?

It is incredibly exciting and meaningful to have my work recognised, whether that is through an award, a festival selection, publication, or simply someone taking the time to read, watch, or connect with something I have created. The biggest joy comes from knowing that people are experiencing the work and hopefully taking something from it, whether that is inspiration, escapism or a feeling of being part of something bigger.

Recognition also makes the long hours feel worthwhile. A lot of creative work happens quietly, behind the scenes, and building things that may not be seen straight away. When that work is recognised, it feels like a little reminder that the effort has reached someone.

At the heart of it, art is a privilege to create and a privilege to share. Having people recognise or support that work is something I never take lightly. It encourages me to keep going, keep improving, and keep building stories that people can step into and feel connected to.

- What's the best and most challenging thing about writing/filmmaking in your genre/form? 

One of the best things about writing fantasy is the freedom it gives me. The most challenging part is trying to create something original in a genre that is already so vast and saturated. Fantasy has such a rich history, and so many ideas have been explored before, so I am very aware of not wanting to simply recreate what already exists. I try to push myself to build from my own experiences and personal way of seeing the world. I want the Nixara’s Awakening Universe to feel familiar enough for fantasy readers to step into, but different enough that it has its own identity.

The most challenging project for me so far has been Where Shadows Bloom: Tamed by Instinct (Book One) my sapphic dark fantasy story. I wanted to explore different expressions of femininity within a fantasy setting. Tamed by Instinct gave me room to write femme and tomboy representation without making either feel like a side note. By placing them in their own timeline alongside Nixara’s Awakening, I could give their relationship the space it needed while still keeping it connected to the larger world. I wanted readers to see strong women existing in a fantasy realm with the same level of complexity and intensity often given to more traditional fantasy leads.

-  How did you develop the idea for your LISFF/LISP-selected work? Is there a story behind your story? And, how long have you been working on it?

My Short Script Baited Silence came from thinking about the world we are living in now, especially the way so many parts of life have become tied to subscriptions and digital dependency. I wanted to explore what happens when that kind of pay-to-continue system is pushed into something deeply human, such as grief.

The story looks at the commodification of human emotion and the influence of digital economies on personal relationships. Baited Silence is about a woman who is trying to hold onto the voice of her deceased daughter through a subscription-based service. 

The story takes place on a fishing jetty in Australia, surrounded by an industrial landscape and a future that feels close enough to our own world to be unsettling. I wanted the futuristic elements to feel subtle rather than overwhelming, appearing through small visual details such as the high-tech fishing lures. Even the poster I created reflects this idea, using the image of a fishing hook to connect the emotional bait of the service with the physical setting of the jetty. I worked on the project for several months before refining it into a script.

-  Lastly, do you recommend the writers/filmmakers submit to LISP/LISFF?

Yes, I would absolutely recommend writers and filmmakers submit to LISP/LISFF. What stood out to me was the amount of passion and time they put into supporting creatives. Their communication has been genuinely encouraging, and it feels like they are not only recognising work but also building a community around writers and filmmakers. That kind of support and networking is incredibly valuable, especially when you are trying to grow and connect with others in the industry.

Thank you for the opportunity to submit Baited Silence, and for its official selection.