USHER MORGAN

BIOGRAPHY

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Morgan was born in Israel and immigrated to the United States in his early twenties. He founded companies in the publishing, real estate, and post-production industries. 

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In 2011, Morgan founded Dark Passage Films - an independent film production and distribution company. The company engages in the development, financing, production, distribution, and marketing of independent motion pictures, short films, and documentaries.

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In 2012, Morgan directed and produced the documentary film, The Thought Exchange with Disney composer David Friedman. The Thought Exchange teaches a simple yet profound way of looking at the world that allows us to understand and experience the truth about who we really are, where we really live, what we really want, and how to have that all the time.

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In 2013, Morgan produced and served as post-production supervisor for Crowned - an original web series by Josh Bednarskey and Brianne Sanborn. The comedy follows the life of party princesses living in LA.

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In 2015, Morgan entered production on his first narrative short film, Prego. Prego tells the story of Emily (Katie Vincent), a young woman confronting a one-night stand (Taso Mikroulis) with the revelation that she's pregnant. Things go from bad to worse when Emily discovers that Mark is not an ideal father figure. The film gained national recognition and received positive reviews across the board. It won the Best Comedy Short Award at the 2015 Manhattan Film Festival, Best Comedy Short Award at the 2015 Chain NYC Film Festival, 2 awards from the 2015 Indie Fest Film Festival, and the Best Comedy award at the 2015 Trinity International Film Festival. In total, the film received 6 wins and 13 nominations.

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In 2016, Morgan wrote, directed, and produced his first narrative feature film, Pickings starring Elyse Price, Joel Bernard, Katie Vincent, Emil Ferzola, and Yaron Urbas. Pickings was released to theaters on March 2nd, 2018. Price plays Jo Lee-Haywood, a mysterious bar owner defending her family and business from the wrath of a short-tempered mobster and his protection racket. The film was released to favorable reviews and won 6 awards and 11 nominations.

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In 2017, Morgan wrote, directed, and produced Fine Dining with Elyse Price and Joel Bernard. This short animated film tells the story of a tired old vampire, determined to convince his lover to abandon the path of effortless consumption and give in to their long-abandoned animal instinct. The film was released online in 2017.

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In 2018, Morgan wrote, directed, and produced the supernatural horror short film Trapped Inside starring Elyse Price, Julie Reifers, and Joel Bernard. The film follows the story of Macy Nash, a young girl who wakes up after nearly drowning in the tub to find herself locked inside a dark and eerie bathroom. Things quickly go from bad to worse as she realizes that there's something else in the room with her.

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In 2019, Morgan produced and directed the psychological thriller short film Windblown with actress/producing partner Katie Vincent. Windblown tells the story of Beth Reeves who seeks solace in her family's New England cottage following the death of her brother. Things go badly. In the same year, Morgan shot and directed the upcoming short film Dual Action, starring Joe Trombino, Skye Stracke, Joel Bernard and Elyse Price. 

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Later that year, Morgan directed and produced the VFX short film The Last Frost starring Katie Vincent as an ice demon queen taking her vengeance on humanity in its final moments.

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In 2020, mere days before the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread, Morgan produced HomeBound starring Sebastian Arcelus (House of Cards, Madam Secretary) and Katie Vincent (Prego, Pickings). HomeBound tells the story of Jamie Rockwell, a woman burdened by severe agoraphobia. After losing her therapy dog, she must muster the courage within, not only to find her dog but also to find herself. The film was nominated for 13 awards, won the top prize at the Top Shorts Film Festival, made it into the Hall of Fame at ISM (Indie Shorts Mag), and received an award for Outstanding Performance and Best Short Film at five other festivals.

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In October of 2022, production began on Morgan's second feature film, Plucked. The film was co-written, co-directed, and produced alongside his frequent collaborator, Katie Vincent. Morgan and Vincent are currently editing the feature, which is set to hit the festival circuit in late 2023.

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In August of 2023, Morgan released a comedy short film titled The Z Word starring Skye Stracke, Amy Laviolette, Hannah Chloe Kaplan, and Briana Cortesiano. It was his last collaboration with his frequent friend and cinematographer, Louis Obioha, who passed away in February of that year. The Z Word tells the story of a quirky city dweller, forced to defend her place in an apartment when her roommates decide to replace her with a friendly, unsuspecting zombie.

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