She'll tell you acting is her calling, but then you listen to Victoria Blade sing and watch her direct -- her most recent film, VICKY WAKES UP (2026) won the episodes grand jury prize at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival -- and I'm with you in thinking maybe three things are her calling.

Filmmaker Victoria Blade is here to talk about her path to winning filmmaking prizes, and it starts with thinking she's going to be a dramatic actor and realizing she's can play comedy just as well. and then just rolling with the opportunities given to her. I get it: acting is her first love.

But this blend of comedy and drama about things we don't see very often, means I'm dying to see Victoria in the director's chair again as soon as possible.

In this episode, Victoria and I talk about:

why VICKY WAKES UP won at Slamdance;
how she got started in filmmaking;
finding her home in comedies;
why more classically trained actors don't make the leap to directing?
whether it was hard for people to see her as a director, given her success in acting and singing;
what she brought to the casting process for VICKY WAKES UP and if her reputation helped attract great actors;
if she has a preference of writing, acting, or directing;
whether there's other episodes ready to go for VICKY WAKES UP;
how she incorporated surrealism into the show;
do indie films do enough with music?
cubicles -- why both her films showcase office environments;
directing herself in her films and what she'd tell directors who want to act;
how she feels about influencers getting into acting;
what's next for her and how she chooses who to work with.

Victoria's Indie Film Highlights: DANNY IS MY BOYFRIEND (2025) dir. by Lucy Sandler and Mechi Lakatos; SCRATCH (2023) dir. by Michael Trainotti

Memorable Quotes:

"What stood out to them was the deeper themes of sexism in the workplace; of the need to pursue our deeper dreams; and the positive vibe that music can bring when even when we're in really dark times."

"So I came out of acting school just thinking I was gonna be a dramatic actor because that's what I taught, but what I learned really quickly is that it was easy for me to bring levity into the room."

"Even when you do have a successful acting career, you have a lot of free time."

"I learned that really as a director, you're sitting in such a privileged seat because there's so much talent and only one person gets the job."

"Whenever you see filmmakers who are going to festivals and they're hiring a casting director and they're really putting their all behind a project, that's attractive to me."

"It is if Pam Beasley from "The Office" slowly became a pop star."

"I don't see a lot of films that talk about music in a very practical way, like in a relatable way."

"It's not like the drudgery and the commitment and the discomfort that it actually takes to change your life."

"The acting becomes instinctual."

"Yeah, I think in the current landscape of the industry with things just constantly changing and evolving and no one really, honestly, knowing what the hell is going on, it's very silly to try to gatekeep anything because this is this is like a free for all. If you wanna go, do it."

Links:

Follow Victoria On Instagram

Victoria's Website

Special Slamdance Coverage: Victoria Blade