Abigail Disney, the grand-daughter of Roy O. Disney and grand-niece of Walt, is a community activist, filmmaker, and philanthropist who uses her grand-uncle’s medium to make movies with a message. She’s produced documentaries before, but “The Armor of Light” is the first film she’s directed.… Read More »Documentary film by Roy O. Disney’s grand-daughter to show on PBS
Update: Turns out we were a day early. The Magic Eye Theater is open for guests today. The three films showing are: Get a Horse – Disney’s 2013 animated short film combines black-and-white hand-drawn animation and CGI animation including many of the classic characters. Walt… Read More »Pixar and Disney Animated Shorts coming to EPCOT
“Feast”, a new short from Walt Disney Animation Studios, will make its world premiere at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival June 10, 2014. “Feast” is from first-time director Patrick Osborne (head of animation, “Paperman”). It tells the story of one man’s love life as… Read More »Walt Disney Animation Unveils First Look at “Feast” a new short
If you find yourself in Los Angeles this weekend, get on down to the 15th annual LA Shorts Festival. There you’ll be able to attend a Pixar Screening & Workshop from one of Pixar’s animators. The screening will be the North American premiere of Pixar’s… Read More »Pixar short La Luna to premier in Los Angeles this weekend
On Wednesday, April 29, audiences at the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival (April 23 – 30) will again enjoy a “Behind-The-Magic” peek at the art of Disney animation. Disney fans won’t want to miss this chance to see some of Disney’s most rarely seen animated… Read More »Disney Animation Rarities coming to Newport Beach Film Festival
(Editors note: I’m the process of writing the review for the recent re-release of “The Three Caballeros” and “Saludos Amigos” on DVD. That DVD has a wonderful extra that just skims the top of Walt’s famous 1941 trip to Latin America. It has always left me wanting to know more about that trip. Now “Walt & El Grupo” has answered that call. I hope they’re able to bring it out to Central Florida for a screening sometime soon.
I want to thank Leo Holzer for sending in this great article about what sounds like an exciting new documentary concerning a very critical moment in Walt’s career. “Walt & El Grupo” is premiering at the San Francisco International Film Festival on Saturday, April 26, 2008. – John)
By Leo N. Holzer
Special to The Disney Blog
The loss of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and the birth of Mickey Mouse in 1928. The creation and release of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937. The development of Disneyland and its opening in 1955.
All of these were important and challenging periods for Walt Disney and his company.
But there was another time when life as Walt Disney knew it would forever change, both personally and professionally. The year was 1941, months before Pearl Harbor, when Walt and his studio were embroiled in labor unrest with an animators’ strike and challenged by the shrinking international box office returns as the war in Europe expanded.
It’s this period of Walt Disney’s life — and the “godsend” he found with a U.S.-government-sponsored working trip to Central and South America — that documentary filmmaker Ted Thomas (“Frank and Ollie”) explores in his new film, “Walt & El Grupo.”
Read More »“Walt & El Grupo” documentary to premiere this Saturday in San Francisco
If you’re planning on attending this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival starting this week, you’ll get to enjoy twenty-seven different animation programs. One of these is Roy E. Disney and Don Hahn with some rarely seen Disney animation and experimental films.
Leslie Iwerks will also be showing her documentary, The Pixar Story.
The full press release is below the cut:
Read More »Roy E. Disney and Don Hahn present rare Disney Animation