Videographer Lieber debuts film on famous surfer

FALLBROOK – Aaron Lieber’s career, having developed from shooting highlight reels to being a surf videographer, is now cresting with the debut of his latest documentary which features surfer Bethany Hamilton.

Lieber grew up in Fallbrook and attended Fallbrook Elementary, La Paloma, Potter Jr. High and Fallbrook High School. It was during these formative years that he developed an interest in filmmaking when he created short films for school projects, filmed his friends skateboarding and made highlight reels for the high school soccer team.

Many of Lieber’s teachers allowed him to make videos instead of writing reports, which he said was forward thinking of his teachers. After high school he attended California State University Long Beach and majored in communications.

During his junior year of college, he got an internship at TransWorldSURF Magazine which helped him get his start in surf filmmaking. He juggled school and travel to make his first surf film, “The Pursuit,” in his last two years of college.

After college he got a job with Nike 6.0 as their surf videographer making a high performance surf film called “Leave a Message” which features the six up and coming female surfers.

In 2012, after departing Nike Surfing, he founded his own production company, Lieber Films, and made his first documentary on a female surfer, Lakey Peterson, who is currently No. 2 in the World, called “Zero to 100.” This film was No. 2 on iTunes Sports and was licensed by Netflix.

In 2014, he began working with surfer Bethany Hamilton on a short action sports piece that morphed into his first feature length documentary. The film took five years to film and edit. “Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable” follows in the footsteps of the Bethany Hamilton feature film “Soul Surfer.”

Lieber’s film tells the story of Hamilton, who at age 13 was out surfing when she was attacked by a 15-foot tiger shark, a run-in that cost Hamilton her left arm. Not only did Hamilton survive the attack, she was back in the water five weeks later and on the competitive surfing circuit just a year after that.

More than a decade later, Hamilton, now a mother, undertakes her greatest challenge: chasing a toddler and the biggest wave of her career. “Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable” is the untold story of the heart of a champion and her resilience against all odds to become one of the leading professional surfers.

Hamilton is continuously rewriting the rules on being a fearless athlete and brings new meaning to the phrase “surfs like a girl,” Lieber said. The documentary will be in select theaters nationwide July 12. For more information, visit http://unstoppablethefilm.com.

Submitted by Lieber Films.