This week we’re joined by writer/director Edward Drake to talk about the making of Detective Knight: Redemption and his journey from Australia to directing feature films in Hollywood.

Edward shares what it was like stepping behind the camera for an action franchise entry, navigating indie filmmaking realities, and collaborating with major talent — all while carving out his own voice as a storyteller.

We get into everything, including:

🎬 Directing Detective Knight: Redemption and building tension within a contained action thriller

🎥 His path from Australia to directing music videos and breaking into feature filmmaking

💥 Transitioning from indie horror roots to larger-scale action projects

🎞️ Working with Bruce Willis across multiple films and what he learned from the experience

📝 Wearing both the writer and director hat — balancing story with production realities

🎬 His new documentary “The Ascent” premiering at SXSW

👉 SXSW Profile: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2026/contributors/2246390

🌍 The difference between narrative features and documentary storytelling

🎯 Advice for aspiring filmmakers trying to make the leap from shorts/music videos to features

Edward gives an honest look at modern indie filmmaking — the hustle, the pivots, and the lessons learned along the way.