There is a version of Eddie Hall that most people feel they already know. The World's Strongest Man. The 500-kilogram deadlift. The record that stood alone, not because no one tried, but because no one else could. It is a tidy image, and it has been repeated often enough to feel settled.
In a recent conversation with Muscle and Fitness, Frank Sepe (Director of Communications), something else surfaces. Not through dramatic confession, but through the particular way Eddie reflects on what the image cost him, and what he had to do to carry it.

He describes it plainly: "People look at the World's Strongest Man and they just think, hard case, big gnarly man lifts weights, drinks beer, eats steak. But there's a lot more."
That phrase, said without self-pity or performance, contains the whole of it. There is a lot more. The question the conversation quietly circles is whether anyone has looked.

In the months leading up to the 500-kilogram lift, Eddie Hall was not simply training his body. He was working with a hypnotherapist. Not to address injury or anxiety in a clinical sense, but to build a particular kind of interior architecture. The sessions were less about the lift itself and more about what comes after it. What does pulling that weight actually do for you? How does your life look when it is done?

"What's it going to do for you, firstly," he says, "is what you've got to get in your head."

We were honoured to receive nominations at the 2025 Leo Awards in two key feature-length documentary categories: Best Picture Editing and Best Sound. These nods are significant to us as they celebrate the craftsmanship that went into shaping Eddie Hall’s story, both visually and aurally. Our editors, Mike Jackson and Andrew Huculiak wove together competition footage, personal interviews and archival material to create a coherent narrative flow that mirrors Eddie’s emotional journey. Being recognised for Best Picture Editing affirms our belief that careful pacing and structural clarity are essential to conveying both the triumphs and vulnerabilities at the heart of Taming the Beast.
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Equally gratifying was our nomination for Best Sound. From the clank of barbells to the intimate hush of Eddie’s most reflective moments, our sound team worked diligently to ensure every element served the story. Layering crowd ambience, original score and ambient effects allowed us to immerse viewers in the visceral world of strongman competition while underscoring the quieter, more introspective beats of Eddie’s mental health journey. 

Recognition in this category underscores the vital role audio design plays in creating emotional resonance in a documentary of this scale.

​Being shortlisted alongside other outstanding British Columbia productions is a tremendous honour. The Leo Awards celebrate excellence across our province’s screen industry, and to see Taming the Beast recognised alongside such high-calibre work is both humbling and motivating. These nods reaffirm the importance of collaborative effort in editorial precision, sound design, directing and cinematography, all coming together to give audiences a window into Eddie Hall’s world.

As we await the announcement of winners, these nominations remind us that the technical artistry behind the scenes is as crucial as the narrative itself. We remain committed to pushing the boundaries of documentary filmmaking, knowing that every cut, every sound cue, and every note of the score has the power to deepen empathy and understanding. In that spirit, we are grateful for the Leo Awards’ recognition and look forward to sharing the outcome in due course.