Private Project

Coercion

It's every woman's worst nightmare when a healthcare worker is abducted by a rideshare driver, driven to an unknown location, tied up, and tortured. But when secrets are uncovered, who exactly is the victim—and who the victimizer—will become unclear. Will anyone end up being a survivor?

  • Liam Mathison Farmer
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay, Short Script
  • Genres:
    Suspense, Thriller, Drama
  • Number of Pages:
    17
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Texas Short Film Festival
    Austin, TX
    October 11, 2025
    Winner, Best Dark Drama Short Screenplay
  • Austin After Dark
    Austin, TX
    October 18, 2025
    Winner, Best Dark Drama Short Screenplay
  • Austin Short Film Festival
    Austin, TX
    October 25, 2025
    Winner, Best Short Screenplay
  • Buried Alive
    Atlanta, GA
    November 6, 2025
    Nominee, Most Original Screenplay Concept
  • Los Angeles Crime & Horror
    North Hollywood, CA
    November 11, 2025
    Winner, Best Short Screenplay
  • Outstanding Screenplays Shorts Competition
    London, UK
    January 15, 2026
    Semi-Finalist
  • Horrific Hope
    Winchester, VA
    May 8, 2026
    Semi-Finalist, Best Short Screenplay
  • 30th Annual Fade In Awards Short Film / Short Script Competition
    West Hollywood, CA
    March 1, 2026
    Semi-Finalist
Writer Biography - Liam Mathison Farmer

Liam Mathison Farmer is the writer of the award-winning psychological horror short Coercion, winner of Best Short Screenplay at the 2025 Los Angeles Crime & Horror and Austin Short Film Festivals.

His drama feature Crosswater was a 2024 Academy Nicholl Fellowship quarterfinalist and Austin Film Festival second-rounder, and his comedy feature The Gospel According To Chad was a 2025 Big Apple Film Festival and Outstanding Screenplays Competition semifinalist.

His other credits include Assistant Director/Production Manager of the comedy shorts Acting 101 and Mis-Conception, both Austin Film Meet productions, and AD/PM of Downhill, a Creative Circuit Studios/Bellamy Films holiday horror short.

Farmer was raised in Chicago but now calls Austin home.

Add Writer Biography
Writer Statement

Much like how Elaine's friends on "Seinfeld" constantly harassed her with "Ya GOTTA have a BABY," this script is my way of responding to all my good friends in industry who've kept on urging me, "Ya GOTTA write a LOW-BUDGET HORROR SHORT!"

Born from personal trauma and influenced by the philosophy of Dr. Thomas Szasz, this short screenplay is the red-headed stepchild of my first feature, "Crosswater." It's not exactly genre horror—or if it is, it's throwback in the vein of "Cape Fear," "Unsane," or "Get Out"—but I'm certain you'll agree it's horrifying.