SCA Alumni Screening Series Presents: RECYCLED LIFE & THE PIXAR STORY

For over sixty years, children have been born and raised here, parents and grandparents eat and survive here. Thousands of families have thrived in the largest and most toxic and dangerous area in all of Central America. For decades, the Guatemala City Garbage Dump and its inhabitants (“guajeros”) who recycle the city's trash have been shun by society and ignored by the government, until a disastrous event in January 2005 forever changed the face of this landfill and the dignified people who’ve called it home…

In the mid 1980’s, three men united together to follow a dream: Ed Catmull, John Lasseter  and Steve Jobs pushed beyond the boundaries of what was known in the world of art and science to form Pixar Animation Studios. In 1995, their Academy Award® winning computer animated film, Toy Story, launched an entirely new animation industry, and their ensuing seven films have entertained millions of people worldwide. Yet over the last twenty years, Pixar’s dramatic rise has often been one of struggle, belief and sheer commitment as they forged their way into an unknown medium. The result has been a potent yet serendipitous blend of art, science, business acumen, and extraordinary vision and talent. Through never before seen archival footage, candid interviews, and visually stunning art and animation, Oscar® nominated director (and USC SCA Alumna) Leslie Iwerks takes us inside the fascinating and unique world of Pixar Animation Studios.

Leslie Iwerks is a third generation filmmaker from a two-time Oscar winning family. Her father, Don Iwerks, and grandfather, Ub Iwerks, both pioneers in the film industry, have been honored with Academy Awards before her.

Leslie’s documentary short film, Recycled Life, was nominated for an Academy Award® in 2007 and has won nine top film festival awards. Leslie directed, photographed and edited the documentary, and along with her producing partner, Mike Glad, chronicled the thousands of people who have been living and working in the largest and most toxic landfill in Central America over the last sixty years - the Guatemala City garbage dump. Narrated by Edward James Olmos, the film had its television premiere on HBO’s Cinemax Channel in August, 2007. Her accompanying short film called A Safe Passage-A Tribute to Hanley Denning aired on HBO-On-Demand and as a result has garnered over $3 million worth of individual financial contributions to the children and families living in the Guatemala City Garbage Dump.

Leslie’s most recent film, The Pixar Story, chronicles the history, business, artistic triumphs and challenges of Pixar Animation Studios and the computer animation art form they pioneered. The film is narrated by Stacy Keach and features Steve Jobs, John Lasseter, Ed Catmull, George Lucas, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Billy Crystal among others. It was nominated for the 2008 Editors Guild ACE Award for best documentary editing. The accompanying book To Infinity and Beyond-The Story of Pixar Animation Studios published by Chronicle Books is based the interviews and research by Leslie Iwerks, and has been released in book stores in December 2007.

Leslie directed, wrote and executive produced Pixar’s 20th Anniversary Special for The Wonderful World of Disney, which starred John Ratzenberger as host amidst the many Pixar computer animated characters. It aired on ABC on June 3, 2006.

Leslie’s award-winning theatrical documentary for Walt Disney Pictures entitled The Hand Behind the Mouse-The Ub Iwerks Story chronicles the life of Leslie’s grandfather, Ub Iwerks, the original designer and co-creator of Mickey Mouse and Academy Award winning motion picture pioneer. Narrated by Kelsey Grammer, the film has screened in over twenty film festivals and aired on the Bravo Channel and IFC in the fall of 2001. In addition, Leslie co-authored an accompanying book of the same title which was published by Disney Editions in 2001, and won the 2002 E.G. Lutz Award for top animation book of the year. The Hand Behind the Mouse biography of Ub Iwerks is sold at the Disney Theme Parks, Disney stores, the Disney Cruiseline, and major bookstores.

The Ride is a big-wave reality-documentary surf film that Leslie co-directed and co-produced, starring Laird Hamilton and five of the world’s top surfers converging in Hawaii for the islands biggest swell in recent history. The 53-minute action-adventure surf film garnered the Best Picture Award at X-Dance Film Festival in January 2004. The Ride has been released on DVD, and has aired on National Geographic Television in various countries around the world.

After graduating the USC Cinema school in 1993, Leslie assisted several top film directors such as Tom Shadyac and Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Michael Cristofer on numerous feature films for Disney, Universal, and HBO including Liar, Liar, The Nutty Professor, Gia and Mighty Ducks 2. In 2001, Leslie served as Manager of Film Production/New Business Development for Iwerks Entertainment, where she developed large format 70mm films and documentaries. Leslie’s 1997 live action short entitled Such a Night, has screened in over ten festivals nationwide and has won numerous top film festival awards. Leslie has served as a juror and panelist for many film festivals domestically and internationally, and her work has been featured in numerous newspaper, radio, and television spots around the world. Leslie is currently developing several new narrative feature and documentary projects.

This screening is presented free of charge and is open to all USC students, faculty, staff and alumni. The theater will be OVERBOOKED to ensure capacity and the RSVP list will be honored on a first-come, first-serve basis, with no reserved seating. Please bring a photo ID or print out of your reservation confirmation, which will be automatically sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Check-in will begin at approximately 4:30PM.

The USC School of Cinematic Arts is located at 850 W. 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007. Parking passes are available for Parking Structure D and Lots M & V (across the street from the George Lucas Building) for $8.00. You must pull into Gate 5, located at the intersection of McClintock Ave. and W Jefferson Boulevard and purchase your parking pass with the booth attendant. Street parking is also available along W Jefferson Blvd.