Leslie Iwerks

Leslie Iwerks (/ˈaɪwɜːrks/) is an American producer, director, and writer. She is daughter of Disney Legend Don Iwerks and granddaughter of Ub Iwerks, the animator and co-creator of Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.[1] She has directed films including Recycled Life which was nominated for an Academy Award[2][3] and The Pixar Story which was nominated for an Emmy for best nonfiction special.[4]

Leslie Iwerks
BornLos Angeles, California
Alma materUniversity of Southern California School of Cinema-Television
OccupationProducer, director, and writer
Parent(s)
RelativesMildred Sarah Henderson (grandmother)
Ub Iwerks (grandfather)
Websitewww.leslieiwerks.com

She is a member of the Documentary Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,[5] the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Producers Guild of America, and the International Documentary Association.

She has worked with non-profit organizations Save Our Seas, Safe Passage, NRDC, and the Sierra Club to raise awareness on matters affecting the globe.[6] She currently helms Santa Monica-based production company Iwerks & Co.[7]

Biography

Iwerks graduated with a BA from the University of Southern California and currently resides on the USC School of Cinematic Arts Alumni Council.

In 1999, Walt Disney Pictures released her first feature-length documentary, The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story, chronicling the life of her grandfather, Ub Iwerks. The film was narrated by Kelsey Grammer.[8]

In 2000, Iwerks began working on numerous ethnographic documentaries in Guatemala which culminated in the film Recycled Life (2006), which was nominated for the Academy Award Best Documentary (Short Subject) category.[9] The film documented the lives of Guatemalans who live and work in the largest landfill in Central America.[10] The film was narrated by Edward James Olmos. Recycled Life went on to raise an estimated $3 million for Safe Passage, a non-profit organization building schools for children who work in the dump.[11]

The Pixar Story (2007), about the rise of Pixar Animation Studios was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Nonfiction Special category and was additionally nominated for the A.C.E. Eddie Awards for Best Edited Documentary. The feature-length documentary was narrated by Stacy Keach and includes interviews with John Lasseter, Steve Jobs, Ed Catmull, George Lucas, Tom Hanks, and other producers, directors, and artists.[12][13] Variety wrote, "The movie is, above all else, a celebration of animation in all its forms. Iwerks naturally has a firm grasp of the medium’s history and rightly sees Pixar as the catalyst for the recent resurgence of audience interest in animation."[14]

In 2008, Iwerks' short documentary Downstream, brought awareness to the environmental effects of oil sands production in Alberta, Canada, as well as rare cancers being found downstream in the aboriginal community of Fort Chipewyan. Because the film scrutinized the local government's pro-oil policies and was partially subsidized by the Alberta Film Fund, it prompted Alberta's Minister of Culture, Lindsay Blackett, to criticize the film, which in turn, sparked public outcry as to whether films subsidized by the government would be allowed freedom of artistic expression.[15] The film was short-listed for the Academy Awards Best Documentary (Short Subject) category in 2008.[16][17]

Iwerks released Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible (2010), which chronicles the developments of visual effects house Industrial Light & Magic from the earliest days of Star Wars to Star Trek: Beyond. The documentary is narrated by Tom Cruise and features interviews with George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Robin Williams, J.J. Abrams, Jerry Bruckheimer, Samuel L. Jackson, Seth Green, Jon Favreau, and various ILM visual effects supervisors.[18]

In 2011, the Biografilm Festival in Bologna, Italy, paid tribute to Iwerks through a multi-day retrospective of her documentary films.[19]

Iwerks' short environmental documentary Pipe Dreams (2011), about the controversy behind the Keystone XL pipeline, was narrated by Daryl Hannah and won the Ashland Independent Film Festival award for Best Documentary Short. The film was also short-listed for the Academy Awards Best Documentary (Short Subject) category in 2012.[20]

Iwerks' 2012 documentary, Citizen Hearst, charting the 125-year history of the Hearst media empire, premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The film is narrated by William H. Macy, and features interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Dan Rather, Mark Burnett, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Bob Iger, Leonard Maltin, Dr. Oz, Heidi Klum and various members of the Hearst family and company.[21]

In 2013, the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival showcased a retrospective of her documentary work, and honored her with the festival's Spotlight Award.[22]

In 2016, she was honored by The Bay Foundation for her environmental impact through filmmaking. Additionally, she was commended by California Assemblymen Richard Bloom and Mike Giatto for her profound commitment to environmental stewardship through penetrating, exemplary documentary filmmaking addressing critical national and global issues.[23][24]

Iwerks' 2016 documentary, Ella Brennan: Commanding the Table, about famed New Orleans restaurateur Ella Brennan premiered at the New Orleans Film Festival and won the Audience Award. The film is narrated by Academy Award-nominated actress Patricia Clarkson, and features interviews with Emeril Lagasse, Danny Meyer, Daniel Boulud, Drew Nieporent, Jeremiah Tower, and others.[25] The film began streaming on Netflix in May 2017.[26]

In 2017, Iwerks embarked on a journey to Macedonia where she uncovered the inside world of fake news created by Macedonian teenagers. The short film follows how the proliferation of fake news impacted the U.S. 2016 Presidential Election and worldwide elections thereafter. Selling Lies was directed, edited, and produced by Iwerks. Morgan Freeman’s production company Revelations Entertainment co-produced the film.[27] The film, completed in 2018, premiered and won the Best Short Documentary at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.[28] The film then went on to win Best Documentary Short at San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, Dumbo Film Festival, DOC LA, and Ridgefield Independent Film Festival.[29][30][31]

Current projects

On October 15th, 2019, League of Legends Origins premiered on Netflix.[32] The Iwerks directed feature-length documentary takes viewers around the world to chronicle the rise of today's number one played online game in the world, League of Legends. In association with Riot Games, Iwerks spent four years documenting the ups and downs and global growth of the billion-dollar esports business and community that grew up around it.[33]

Since 2013, Iwerks has been producing and directing a documentary on the history of Walt Disney Imagineering, the division responsible for designing Disney theme parks and other attractions.[34] In April 2019, it was announced that The Imagineering Story is slated to premiere on the Disney+ streaming service. This documentary series looks at the more than 65-year history of Walt Disney Imagineering through parallel storylines focused on the people, the craft, and the business.[35] On August 22nd 2019, it was announced that Academy Award-nominated actress Angela Bassett would be narrating the series.[36] The Imagineering Story premiered on November 12th, 2019.[37] Initial reviews of the series have called it everything from the "crown jewel of the first wave of original programming to Disney+" to "a surprisingly honest history of how Disney’s theme parks were made."[38][39]

Filmography
Year Film Credited As Awards/Film Festivals
1999 The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story Producer, Director, Writer Official Selection Buffalo International Film Festival, Official Selection Philadelphia Film Festival, Official Selection Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Official Selection Hiroshima International Animation Festival, Official Selection Florida Film Festival, Official Selection Annecy International Animated Film Festival
2004 The Ride Director, Co-Producer Best Picture X-Dance Film Festival, Official Selection Hawaii International Film Festival
2006 Pixar's 20th Anniversary Special Executive Producer, Director, Writer
Recycled Life Producer, Director, Writer, Editor, Cinematographer Academy Award Nomination for Best Documentary Short, Best Documentary Short Tahoe/Reno International Film Festival, Best Documentary Short Newport Beach International Film Festival, Best Documentary Short San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, Best Documentary Short Ojai International Film Festival, Best Documentary Short Mendocino International Film Festival, Official Selection SXSW Film Festival, Official Selection Calgary Underground Film Festival
2007 The Pixar Story Producer, Director, Writer, Editor Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Nonfiction Special, A.C.E. Eddie Awards Nomination for Best Edited Documentary, Official Selection San Louis Obispo Film Festival, Official Selection Santa Barbara Film Festival, Official Selection Future Film Festival Bologna, Italy, Official Selection Annecy International Animated Film Festival
2008 Downstream Director, Writer Official Selection Ojai International Film Festival, Official Selection Edmonton International Film Festival, Official Selection Calgary International Film Festival
2009 Dirty Oil Producer, Director, Writer, Editor Official Selection Calgary International Film Festival, Official Selection Global Visions Film Festival, Official Selection Hamptons International Film Festival, Official Selection Tri Continental Film Festival, Official Selection Wakefield International Film Festival
2010 Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible Producer, Director, Writer, Editor Official Selection Future Film Festival Bologna, Italy, Official Selection Annecy International Animated Film Festival, Official Selection FMFX Computer Animation Festival Stuttgart, Germany
2011 Pipe Dreams Producer, Director, Writer, Editor, Cinematographer Best Documentary Short Ashland Independent Film Festival, Official Selection Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Official Selection San Francisco Green Film Festival, Official Selection Omaha Film Festival, Official Selection Environmental Film Festival - Washington D.C.
2012 Citizen Hearst Producer, Director, Writer, Editor Official Selection Hamptons International Film Festival, Official Selection San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
2016 Ella Brennan: Commanding the Table Producer, Director, Writer, Editor Audience Award New Orleans Film Festival, Official Selection Mill Valley Film Festival, Official Selection Houston Cinema Arts Festival, Official Selection Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Official Selection Boulder International Film Festival, Official Selection Miami Film Festival, Official Selection San Luis Obispo Film Festival, Annapolis Film Festival
2018 Selling Lies Producer, Director, Editor Best Documentary Short Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Best Documentary Short San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, Best Documentary Short March Dumbo Film Festival, Best Documentary Short DOC LA, Best Documentary Short Ridgefield Independent Film Festival
2019 League of Legends Origins Producer, Director
2019 The Imagineering Story Executive Producer, Director Episodes stream weekly starting November 12th 2019

References
  1. "The Hand Behind The Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story". Variety. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  2. "Recycled Life - Awards". IMDB. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  3. Gael García Bernal and Eva Green presenting Documentary Short Subject-Oscars on YouTube
  4. "The Pixar Story - Awards". IMDB. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  5. "Academy Invites Record 928 New Members". Hollywood Reporter. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  6. "Leslie Iwerks". The Dish. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  7. "USC Cinematic Arts". USC Cinematic Arts. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  8. "'Mouse' Looks at Iwerks' Hand in Creating Disney Animation". Los Angeles Times. 1999-10-08. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  9. 2007|Oscars.org
  10. "Recycled Life brings trash and hope to Oscars". Reuters. 2007-02-08. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  11. "Filmmaker Behind Recycled Life Speaks to HipLatina". Reuters. 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
  12. "Instant Watcher". Archived from the original on 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
  13. "Variety". Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  14. "The Pixar Story". Variety. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  15. "Oscar short sparks controversy sands". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  16. "Alberta may censor films critical of tar sands". artthreat. Archived from the original on 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  17. "Alberta rethinks film funding rules after anti-oilsands doc gets cash". CBC. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  18. "Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible". Starz Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2012-01-18.
  19. "Biografilm to feature". Variety. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
  20. "Academy Shortlists 8 Documentary Shorts". thewrap.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  21. Kit, Zorianna; ContributorJournalist; Reporter, Entertainment; Writer, Travel; Society, media director at Sea Shepherd Conservation (2013-03-13). "Movie Review: Citizen Hearst". HuffPost. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  22. "SLO film festival honoree tells stories behind the stories". sanluisobispo. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  23. "The Bay Foundation's 2nd Annual Coastal Connections on September 22, 2016". Venice Patch. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  24. "The Bay Foundation's 2nd Annual Coastal Connections on September 22, 2016" (PDF). The Bay Foundation. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  25. "Ella Brennan biopic to premiere". theadvocate. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  26. "Ella Brennan documentary streaming on Netflix". WGNO. 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  27. "Morgan Freeman". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  28. Bennett, Anita (2019-02-10). "'Babysplitters' and 'In Love and War' Among Santa Barbara International Film Festival Winners". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  29. "2019 Winning Films". San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. 2019-03-18. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  30. "March 2019 Dumbo Film Festival Winners".
  31. "2019 DOC LA — Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival". docla. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  32. "You can now watch a League of Legends documentary on Netflix | ONE Esports - The Home Of Esports". ONE Esports. 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  33. "After spending 10 years turning 'League of Legends' into a global powerhouse, Riot Games is celebrating with 7 new titles". Business Insider. 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  34. "Walt Disney's Imagineers to Get Documentary in 2016". Variety. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  35. "Disney+ announces non-fiction shows, including Imagineering and Marvel documentaries". Inside the Magic. 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  36. "Angela Bassett to Narrate Disney+ Docuseries 'The Imagineering Story' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  37. "Go behind the scenes of Disney Parks in trailer for Disney+ docuseries 'The Imagineering Story'". EW.com. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  38. "A Taste of Disney+: How Are the First Episodes of the Streaming Service's Original Shows?". Slashfilm. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  39. "'The Imagineering Story' Review: Disney+ Series Chronicles the History of Disney Theme Parks". Collider. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
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