Edward Payson's journey in the film industry began in his hometown of Derry, New Hampshire, where his passion for directing films was evident from a young age. At the tender age of twenty, he made the bold decision to relocate to California, enrolling at Columbia College Hollywood to pursue a bachelor's degree in Cinema.
As a freshman at Columbia, Edward took on an ambitious project, directing his first feature film, Morbid: A Love Story, which boasted a 70-person cast and took two years to complete due to various complications, including the untimely loss of his father, Edward Payson Senior. Despite the challenges, Morbid was a finalist at the prestigious Las Vegas Film Festival.
Edward's subsequent projects solidified his reputation as a talented filmmaker. He directed the drama A Mother's Love and two short films, Happy Anniversary and The Itch, all within the thriller/horror genre. He also expanded his creative horizons by helping to produce two feature films, The ID Proxy, directed by his friend Matthew C. Dummond, and The Rule of Law, directed by Moziko Wind.
Edward's professional network continued to grow as he befriended the accomplished horror director Brandon Scullion, collaborating on several projects, including The Black Guitar, The Suicide Films, and Recess. Upon graduating from Columbia College, Edward turned his attention to documentary filmmaking, directing Unsigned, a film that follows the struggles and triumphs of three unsigned rock bands in LA.
Edward's subsequent return to the horror genre yielded The Cohasset Snuff Film in 2011, a gritty exploration of the mind of serial killer Collin Mason. This project marked the beginning of a long-term creative partnership with Director of Photography Kevin A. McCarthy, with whom he would collaborate on several films.
Their next joint venture was the action/horror feature Fury: The Tales of Ronan Pierce, released in 2012, starring Kevin's brother Michael McCarthy, Jordan Elizabeth, Kane Hodder, and R.A. Mihailoff.
