With a career spanning over two decades, Kimber Leigh has solidified her place as a trailblazer in independent cinema. An award-winning actress, producer, and director, she has starred in over 35 films, produced 14, and directed 7, captivating audiences with her compelling storytelling and artistic vision. Her journey into the film industry was deeply inspired by her grandfather’s prophetic words, which set the foundation for a lifelong pursuit of cinematic excellence.

In 2024, Kimber made waves with two award-winning documentaries, Together in ALS: A Wives’ Perspective and Taking Your Crack at Filmmaking: Through the Eyes of the Director Kimber Leigh, demonstrating her versatility in both socially impactful and industry-focused storytelling. As she looks ahead to 2025, her ambitious slate includes The Sounds of the Soul and Pick it Up America, two documentaries with a strong social message, as well as the sci-fi comedy Invasion of the Space Vixen.

Your journey into filmmaking began with a prophetic statement from your grandfather. Looking back, how do you feel about the path you’ve taken to make his words a reality?

Looking back now and hearing those words spoken from my grandfather mean more today than the day he verbalized them to me. I know with any doubt that I chose the right path to take in life. Growing up in a severely dysfunctional family and being raised by an alcoholic/drug addicted mother, I never believed I could fulfill my grandfather’s prophecy. As I grew into adulthood I became less angry about the hand I was dealt during my childhood and wanted to learn the best way to play this game of life. I started to read every book I could get my hands on that was self help and or spiritually related to be able to live the life my grandfather envisioned for me. Meeting good people along the way as well as finding myself in alignment with serendipitous situations, it seemed as if the entire world was conspiring to make my grandfather’s spoken word my reality. Though it has taken a lifetime to get to this moment  this journey of mine has been nothing short of miraculous!

With over 35 acting credits, 14 produced films, and 7 directorial projects, which role—actor, producer, or director—feels most like home to you, and why?

I love being an actor, producer and director. The role that feels most like home to me is the acting role. Acting is the best therapy for me! To escape being the person that you live with everyday and transforming into a whole new character (temporarily) watching that new character grow with each scene is an unforgettable experience. My second favorite role is directing. I have a knack for detail and can point out the littlest things that need changed that will make the biggest difference in the film that is being created. I also receive inspirational downloads during the filming process so being the director makes it easier to add those additional changes to make the film award winning. Pray before you film and set your intentions with your team and watch the magic you will all create!

Your bestselling book Greta GarBitch offers insight into your journey. How has writing your story influenced your work as a filmmaker?

Thank you for mentioning my book. I feel it is important to add this about the book and my grandfather’s role in it for anyone reading this interview. He said to me as a child, “When you grow up you are going to be as famous as an actress as Greta Garbo!” My mothers response to that statement is that I would be nothing more than a bitch when I grow up, a Greta GarBitch! Thank goodness I chose to listen to what my grandfather said instead.

I was a filmmaker before I became an author and it is still the art of storytelling. I had to find a way to navigate helping the reader through the pages of the book instead of what I was used to doing and that was showing the story on a silver screen. My job as a writer is to guide the reader to feel like they are inside the pages of the book looking outside.The written words have to feed the reader the feeling that you are holding their hand as you walk them through your experience as they turn each page in the book. When translating scenes in a film you get to actually connect with the characters on a visual platform. I feel I did my best by using the written word so the reader could feel the book. Writing a bestselling book has taught me that feeling the film is far more important than watching the film. Becoming an author has made me a much better indie filmmaker.

Your two recent award-winning documentaries explore vastly different subjects—ALS and the filmmaking process. What drives your choice of documentary topics, and what do you hope audiences take away from them?

What drives my choice of documentary subject matters is I ask myself “will this subject matter make a difference in the life of someone else and can I get that difference across in the medium of the documentary?” The other question I ask myself is, “Am I knowledgeable enough on the subject that I am being asked to create?”  If I am the one creating the documentary I feel like I can really dig deep into the research and get the message across that will make the audience think and perhaps encourage those members of the audience to a call to action.

Looking ahead to 2025, your upcoming projects range from music and social change (The Sounds of the Soul, Pick it Up America) to sci-fi comedy (Invasion of the Space Vixen). What excites you most about these films?

What excites me most about the different project ranges is I love to explore and create socially conscious documentaries. Early on in my film career I was told  by a film festival the reason for the festival rejection is they felt my film made the audience think too much. I knew at that moment (even though it appeared to look like a failure) I was on the right track. I personally prefer films/books/documentaries that make you think, grow and have a change of heart on the subject matter. My goal in storytelling is to become the creator who holds that thinking flashlight for others to guide them to the solution instead of staying fixated on the problem. Making documentaries gives me the advantage of helping people think outside the original box. I still hold a deep passion for the process of filmmaking. I choose comedy over any other film genre. If I am going to make a film I want to bring laughter to the theatre to change up the dramatic vibrations of everyday life.

Independent filmmaking requires resilience. Can you share a moment where you faced a major challenge on set and how you overcame it?

Indie filmmaking definitely requires resilience!

I believe most projects that I have worked on have had some setbacks to them. Mostly the major challenge for me is living on an island. There are more filming resources available on the mainland. My challenges when filming on the BIg Island become lack of camera operators, enough equipment, sound (trade winds) and shortness of actors. The way I have overcome this obstacle is by trading my house for a vacation spot and having those that take me up on the offer to come vacation, bring their camera equipment with them and say “Let’s make a movie!”

The indie film world is built on passion and creativity. What advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers who dream of making their mark but face obstacles?

I would say to any passionate artist that we all face obstacles in life. Even the most advanced budgeted films have obstacles. So the advice I would give that will best suit any aspiring filmmaker is, the obstacle is the gift. It is the greatest equalizer in the project. See the obstacle as the gift and claiming that as the gift is priceless! Jump for joy and have your team jump for joy over the obstacle. Quickly find the solution to the obstacle and keep moving forward with the project beholding great joy. You will find when the project is over “the obstacle” was the greatest game changer for the success of the film. I have won awards in films where there was a great obstacle and that obstacle became the award!

Your work has earned international recognition. How do film festivals and awards impact your journey, and what do they mean to you personally?

I love the film festival journey so much. Personally I feel it brings the indie film community together in a venue that makes you all a film family and that togetherness also sparks future film projects.The award portion of the journey only shows you where you have been in your career. Where you go after that award is the mental struggle. Do you make another film? Do you collaborate with the same people or invite others to join you in your creative space? However as an indie filmmaker the award may be the only single thing that makes all your time and effort during the filmmaking process worth it!

If you could go back in time and give advice to your younger self, just starting out in the 2000s, what would you say?

The advice that I would give to my younger self is this:

Hang on to your dreams girlie! It’s going to be a wild ride of some incredible ups and downs. Be sure to ask for that and only that which is yours by your divine right and become open enough to receive your good even if you do not feel worthy of these gifts from the Universe. Use your sense of discernment in the difficult times and always always alway listen to your intuition,it is never wrong and will guide you into your next amazing chapter in life.

Beyond the screen, what legacy do you hope to leave through your films and storytelling?

The legacy that is most important to me to leave behind is to share with others that the gift of light and love are everywhere you look, if you choose to see light and love. I saw that light and that love at a time when I was taking an almost fatal beating at the hands of my mother. The light is real and the love within the light is beyond any words that I can use to describe its intensity. Back to my book for a moment, it is my legacy! I set the intention for Greta GarBitch, that whoever opens the book will feel the spirit of the light, that intention is inside the pages set with every word that I wrote. As far as the films I have directed, acted or produced I pray the audience feels the laughter in the comedies that were created, for the documentaries, the legacy for that would be education. Because as the saying goes, “knowledge is power.” I want to leave you all with the feeling of light, love, knowledge and empowerment! 

“For you can do all things!”