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Hank Leukart
Product Manager by day. Filmmaker by night.
Hank Leukart

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Bluesky →

the moment i get my delorean, i'll travel to 2011 montreal because of mile end kicks

35 days AGOBluesky →

proof that great car ads can actually work: no one buys green cars except for almost every rivian owner

43 days AGOBluesky →

i just realized playing with a baby is just ucb because you just find the game and you’re good to go

44 days AGOBluesky →

the flawless folk-horror-comedy tone of widow's bay is a writing and directorial achievement that previously i would not have thought possible

68 days AGOBluesky →

a tv feature that shows you which actors on screen are dead

75 days AGOBluesky →

discovery: the "i should probably go pick up my dog" line at the end of palm springs is a direct homage to the end of before sunrise, possibly the most romantic movie ever made

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Synopsis

When it came time to share our story for our wedding, a standard photo slideshow just wasn't going to cut it. I wanted to create something that genuinely captured the collision of our two very different, yet perfectly complementary, worlds. My entire life has been wired into tech, gaming, and film, from spending my early years immersed in the pixelated trenches of Doom and writing about game modding, to building a career across the tech and TV & film industries. Meanwhile, my wife has always been a profound source of empathy, channeling her dynamic energy into theater as a teenager and pediatric neuroscience as an adult. Crafting a video script that framed our relationship as an epic, whimsical quest felt like the only right way to honor those roots. It was a chance to merge my love for cinematic storytelling with her uniquely theatrical and caring spirit.

Plus, I really needed a fun way to explain the absolute absurdity of how a massive Wizard of Oz pinball machine became the centerpiece of our engagement. Pinball has evolved into this hilarious shared obsession in our home: a tactile extension of my lifelong gaming habit that unexpectedly ignited her fierce competitive side. I wrote this film to document not just the literal miles we've trekked across mountains and oceans, but the playful, arcade-style milestones of our life together. It’s a geeky, heartfelt tribute to the fact that whether we're navigating whitewater canyons or trying to beat each other's high scores, we're co-op partners in the ultimate adventure.

Hank Leukart
About the Director

Hank Leukart

Hank Leukart is a filmmaker passionate about sharing compelling, immersive stories, especially well-versed in launching film projects combining travel to unusual locales with socially-conscious issues like environmental conservation, human rights, and education. He’s worked as a producer on many iconic documentary television shows, including World’s Toughest Race (Amazon Prime); The Amazing Race, Big Brother, and The American Baking Competition (CBS); and Expedition Impossible (ABC). His first feature documentary, “The Mars Academy” — about NASA scientists helping underserved kids explore Mars with a real spacecraft — premiered at the Borrego Springs Film Festival. His second feature, "The John Muir," premiered at the Breckinridge Film Festival. His short films “Bears Ears” and “Rattlesnake to Westwater" won awards at the Lookout Wild, Maine Outdoor, and Waterwalker Film Festivals.