Leslie Iwerks 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.
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 Pixar Story (2007) was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Nonfiction Special category.
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.
Iwerks is currently producing and directing The Imagineering Story, a documentary series on the history of Walt Disney Imagineering, the division responsible for designing Disney theme parks and other attractions.
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 |
| 2006 | Pixar's 20th Anniversary Special | Executive Producer, Director, Writer | |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2019 | The Imagineering Story |
