Leslie Iwerks
| Leslie Iwerks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
c. 1970 Los Angeles, CA |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television |
| Occupation | Producer, director, writer |
| Parent(s) | Don Iwerks |
| Relatives | Ub Iwerks (grandfather) |
| Website | www.leslieiwerks.com |
Leslie Iwerks (/ˈaɪwɜːrks/; born 1970) is an American director, producer, and writer. She is also 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]
Biography
Iwerks graduated with a BA from the University of Southern California.[2]
In 1999, Walt Disney Pictures released her first feature 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.
In 2000, Iwerks began working on numerous ethnographic documentaries in Guatemala which culminated in the film Recycled Life (2006), which was nominated for an Academy Award in the Short Documentary category. The film documented the lives of Guatemalans who live and work in the landfill in Guatemala City, Guatemala.[3] The film was narrated by Edward James Olmos.
The Pixar Story (2007) was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Nonfiction Special category.[4]
Iwerks released Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible (2010), which chronicles the developments of visual effects house Industrial Light & Magic. 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 supervisor.[5]
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.
Iwerks' 2012 documentary, Citizen Hearst, 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.
In 2013, Iwerks was honored by the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival with the festival's Spotlight Award.[6]
Current projects
Iwerks is currently producing and directing a feature-length documentary on the history of Walt Disney Imagineering, the division responsible for designing Disney theme parks and other attractions.[7]
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 |
| 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 Festiva, 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, Official Selection San Louis Obispo Film Festival, Official Selection Santa Barbara Film Festival, Official Selection Future Film Festival Bologna, Italy |
| 2009 | Downstream | Director, Writer | Official Selection Ojai International Film Festival, Official Selection Edmonton International Film Festival, Official Selection Calgary International Film Festival |
| 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 Animation 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 | |
| The Imagineering Story[8] |
References
- ↑ "The Hand Behind The Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story". Variety. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
- ↑ "Leslie Iwerks". IMDb. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
- ↑ "Recycled Life brings trash and hope to Oscars". Reuters. 2007-02-07. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
- ↑ "Instant Watcher". Retrieved 2011-05-31.
- ↑ "Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible". Starz Entertainment.
- ↑ "SLO film festival honoree tells stories behind the stories". sanluisobispo. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
- ↑ "Walt Disney's Imagineers to Get Documentary in 2016". Variety. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
- ↑ "D23 Expo Exclusive: Leslie Iwerks Creating Documentary About Walt Disney Imagineering". August 12, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.