Private Project

Taking Your Crack at Filmmaking

Award-winning indie director Kimber Leigh reveals how to shoot a film on a shoestring, or no budget at all.

  • Kimber Leigh
    Director
  • Kimber Leigh
    Writer
  • Jim Thorton
    Producer
  • Elena Thornton
    Producer
  • Kimber Leigh
    Key Cast
  • Elena Thorton
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 28, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Canon 5D Mark IV Sony DSLR
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Kimber Leigh

Kimber Leigh is an international award winning indie actor, producer, director. Kimber’s dream began at the age of seven when her grandfather spoke of how she would become as famous as an actress as Greta Garbo.
(you can read this story in her bestselling book Greta GarBitch) It took many decades later before these words of her grandfather would become her reality starting in the very early days of the 2000’s.

Kimber has starred in over 35 independent films, produced over 14 and has directed 7 films to this current date.

In 2024 Kimber has directed and produced two international award winning documentaries titled: Together in ALS A Wives Perspective and Taking your Crack at Filmmaking: Through the Eyes of the Director Kimber Leigh.

Kimber has her eyes set on 2025 as she is slated to direct the documentary (working title) The Sounds of the Soul and Pick it up America, as well as a short comedy titled Invasion of the Space Vixen.

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Director Statement

Taking Your Crack at Filmmaking

This documentary began because someone saw an idea unfolding, then fueled by trade-winds, missed shots, and the kind of chaos only indie filmmaking (and Hawaiian weather) can deliver, Taking Your Crack at Filmmaking was filmed in Arizona. But its soul lives on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, where we shot Sand in the Crack, a low-budget comedy that turned into a masterclass in creative resilience.
What started as a short film turned into a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to make a movie when time, money, and predictability are all in short supply. The crew flew in. The wind blew out our set. The actors were green. I wore four hats and still missed key shots. And yet we made a film.
This documentary isn’t just about one film. It’s about the spirit of independent cinema. It’s about figuring it out as you go, trusting your gut, and creating something meaningful even if it's held together by duct tape, sunscreen, and a dream.
Now on the festival circuit, Taking Your Crack at Filmmaking is connecting with other indie artists who know this road. It’s funny, raw, and above all, real.
We didn’t have a big budget. But we had heart. And sometimes, that’s the most powerful currency of all.

A downloadable press kit (PDF) is included in the Files & Attachments section for programming and media consideration.

Kimber Leigh