Sienna Macalister (they/them) is a screenwriter with multiple neurodivergences and a passion for authentic representation on screen. Their original series pilot, Something Unsaid, was celebrated in advanced rounds of top-tier competitions, including the Austin Film Festival and the Final Draft Big Break competition in 2025.
Drawing on the strengths of their neurodivergent thinking, Sienna has the ability to hyper-focus with exceptional attention to detail and a near-obsessive memory of story elements. Their commitment to accuracy and clarity fuels their ability to dynamically pitch and build stories, making them an asset in writers’ rooms – instantly identifying narrative gaps and ensuring script continuity. These strengths have led to their notes and story contributions being highly commended across premium live-action and global animation writers’ rooms across major Australian broadcasting pipelines.
Their short film, One Closed Door (2021) was a semi-finalist in both the Changing Face and Eurasia international film festivals. They then acted as script supervisor on the international co-production Trimester (2022).
Sienna has also been published in two anthologies. Their story, Lord, Howe did I get here? was published in Hyperfocus by Argonautica Press through a South Australian government grant. Their second story, School System Reject was initially published in the University of Queensland Press compilation, Someone Like Me, in March 2025. Since then, a second edition was published by Verve UK in August 2025, and an audio book has been released by Random House US. This submission was edited with renowned neurodivergent writer and consultant Clem Bastow.
In 2017, Sienna also reached the final stage of qualifying for the Neighbours writers’ room placement program, before it was ultimately cancelled. In one of the assessments, Sienna predicted all upcoming storylines exactly, showing their understanding of popular tropes and story structure.
Having graduated from RMIT University, Sienna earned a place on the Vice-Chancellor’s List for Academic Excellence. They have a Bachelor of Communications (Media) and an Advanced Diploma of Professional Screenwriting. Sienna later completed the AWG First Break note-taking workshop.
Across multiple social media platforms, Sienna currently has a combined following of over 52,000 for their neurodivergent advocacy work. Ultimately, Sienna’s goal is for people to see their experiences reflected through Sienna’s work.
