CTCS-466: Theatrical Film Symposium and Iron Mountain Media & Archival Services,
invite USC Students, Faculty, Staff, and Alumni to attend

A Special Theatrical Screening of

DISNEYLAND HANDCRAFTED

Directed by SCA Alumna Leslie Iwerks
Produced by Mark A. Catalena and Leslie Iwerks

Introduction by Anna Martino, Iron Mountain Media & Archival Services

Followed by a Q&A with SCA Alumna Leslie Iwerks
Moderated by CTCS-466 Professor Leonard Maltin

7:30 P.M. on Thursday, April 9th, 2025

The Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall
3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007

OPEN EXCLUSIVELY TO SCA STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF and ALUMNI. RSVPs REQUIRED.

FOOD AND DRINKS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED IN THE AUDITORIUM.
 

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

Check-in will begin at 7:00 P.M., and admission will occur
during the break period for CTCS-466: Theatrical Film Symposium at 7:15 P.M.
 

Presented as part of the
Iron Mountain Media & Archival Services
Spotlight Screening Series
 

About Disneyland Handcrafted

The magic of Walt Disney’s dream unfolds when Disneyland Handcrafted, a feature documentary from Leslie Iwerks, takes viewers on an unforgettable journey through the exhilarating year that gave rise to The Happiest Place on Earth. Built from rare archival footage and original audio recordings, the film began streaming on Disney+ and Disney YouTube on January 22.

Disneyland Handcrafted reveals the extraordinary artistry and grit it took hundreds of craftspeople to bring Walt Disney’s impossible dream project of Disneyland to fruition – from groundbreaking to Opening Day on July 17, 1955.

The documentary captures both the legacy and nostalgia of the year leading up to the creation of the Disneyland Resort. Through newly unearthed materials from the Walt Disney Archives, Iwerks and her team uncovered long-forgotten 16mm film reels and audio recordings. The result is an unpolished, fly-on-the-wall perspective that captures what was truly happening behind the scenes, told through the firsthand accounts of the artists, craftsmen, and Imagineers who were there.

Since opening over 70 years ago, Disneyland laid the groundwork for a massive global industry that is currently in the biggest era of growth, making this film a truly special treat for Disney fans.

Provided courtesy of Disney+. Running time: 79 minutes. 

About the Guests

LESLIE IWERKS (Director, Producer, SCA Alumna)

Leslie Iwerks is an Academy Award® and Emmy® nominated director and producer who currently serves as the CEO and Creative Director of Iwerks & Co., an LA based multimedia production company.

Iwerks creates critically acclaimed and award-winning documentaries, features and series that celebrate the genius, risks and rewards of creative visionaries, showcase heartfelt human tales, from the depths of the Guatemalan garbage dumps to the toxic tar sands of Alberta, Canada, and that document the human story of innovation and enterprise globally. An adventure and travel enthusiast, Iwerks has filmed on all seven continents around the world.

Her body of work encompasses feature films, such as the highly acclaimed The Imagineering Story, The Pixar Story, Citizen Hearst, Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible, The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story and League of Legends Origins, acclaimed environmental documentaries, including Recycled Life, Pipe Dreams and Downstream, and most recently, two in-depth docuseries, Superpowered: The DC Story and 100 Years of Warner Bros, for HBOMax.

Iwerks’ desire to innovate and push boundaries with her filmmaking has been cultivated and inspired by her family upbringing, as her grandfather, Ub Iwerks, was the original designer and co-creator of Mickey Mouse and a multi Academy Award®-winning visual effects pioneer, and her father, Don Iwerks, is also an Academy Award® winner for Technical Lifetime Achievement, and the founder of the large format film company, Iwerks Entertainment, which has built Iwerks large format theaters and projections systems in over 200 theaters around the world.

LEONARD MALTIN (SCA Professor, Moderator)

Leonard Maltin is one of the most recognized and respected film critics of our time. He spent 30 years on the hit television show Entertainment Tonight and appears regularly on Turner Classic Movies. He currently hosts the weekly podcast Maltin on Movies with his daughter Jessie. An established author, he is best known for his paperback reference, Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide. In 2005, he introduced a companion volume, Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide (now in its third edition), which focuses on movies made before 1965, going back to the silent era. His latest book is a memoir titled Starstruck: My Unlikely Road to Hollywood.

A lifelong Disneyphile, Leonard first published his book The Disney Films in 1973 and revised it several times through the year 2000. He initiated, hosted, and co-produced the popular Walt Disney Treasures DVDs (thirty-seven in all).

Leonard’s other books include Hooked on Hollywood, The Best 151 Movies You’ve Never Seen, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, The Great American Broadcast: A Celebration of Radio’s Golden Age, The Great Movie Comedians, Movie Comedy Teams, The Art of the Cinematographer, Selected Short Subjects and (as co-author) The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang.

Leonard has been teaching at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for the last 24 years. His popular class screens new films prior to their release, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.

As an expert and host, he is frequently seen on news programs and documentaries. Leonard is also a prolific freelance writer whose articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The London Times, Smithsonian, TV Guide, Esquire, The Village Voice and American Film. He was the film critic for Playboy magazine for six years.

Additionally, Leonard frequently lectures on film and was a member of the faculty of New York City’s New School for Social Research for nine years. He served as Guest Curator at the Museum of Modern Art film department in New York on two separate occasions.

He has written a number of television specials, including Fantasia: The Creation of a Disney Classic and has hosted, produced and written such video documentaries and compilations as The Making of The Quiet Man, The Making of High Noon, Cartoons for Big Kids, The Lost Stooges, Young Duke: The Making of a Movie Star, Cliffhangers: Adventures from the Thrill Factory and Cartoon Madness: The Fantastic Max Fleischer Cartoons.

In 2006 he was named by the Librarian of Congress to join the Board of Directors of the National Film Preservation Foundation. He also has received awards and citations from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, American Society of Cinematographers, Anthology Film Archives, The Society of Cinephiles, San Diego Comic-Con International, and the Telluride Film Festival. Perhaps the greatest indication of his fame was his appearance in a now-classic episode of the animated series South Park.

In 2022 he became the third person to receive the Robert Osborne Award at the TCM Classic Film Festival, where it was presented to him by Warren Beatty. Shortly afterward he was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Check-In & Reservations

This screening is open exclusively to USC Students, Faculty, Staff and Alumni. Please bring a valid USC ID or print out of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Check-in will begin at 7:00 P.M., and admission will occur during the break period for CTCS-466: Theatrical Film Symposium at 7:15 P.M.

Accessibility Needs

Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact Alessandro Ago, Assistant Dean, Programming and Special Events, at aago@cinema.usc.edu or 213-740-2330. It is requested that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least seven days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.

Parking

​​​​​​​On-campus parking at the University of Southern California is limited. We recommend buying a day pass for the Royal Street Structure, located at the intersection of Royal Street and W. Jefferson Blvd. Parking passes are $20/car. For more information about parking at USC, please visit USC Transportation Website:

https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/daily-and-hourly-parking/
https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/about-us/entrance-hours/

Contact Information

Name: Alessandro Ago
Email: aago@cinema.usc.edu