Jennifer Hawks | Director | Cinematographer | Editor

Jennifer Hawks studied film theory and history at the University of California at Santa Barbara while pursuing her B.A. in literature. As a lifelong storyteller, until recently her tools were limited to photographs and the written word. Everything It Takes is her first full-length feature film.

“Today’s digital cinematography world is very different than it was even a few years ago. It’s now a perfect storm of high tech and low prices. One of my goals for Everything It Takes was to create an incredibly visual story packed with emotional highs and lows but without a Hollywood budget, or a Hollywood-sized production crew.”

With a budget of less than $5,000 and a crew of only herself, Jennifer shot the award-winning Everything It Takes using a simple video camera and two GoPros. However, the lack of resources didn’t detract from her excitement about fulfilling a lifelong dream to write and direct a film. She also enlisted a well-known character actor to join the cast: the scenery of Alaska. From Denali’s snow-covered peaks to its remote and pristine valleys, Alaska was the perfect backdrop for this documentary about persevering despite overwhelming challenges in a harsh environment.

CATEGORY Cast & Crew, Tough Girl Studios

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