Everything You Need to Know About Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

February 28, 2017

By Nicole Nalty

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is back! Blooming through Epcot from March 1 to May 29, this 90-day festival will feature terrific topiaries, delicious eats, awesome entertainers… need we say more? Read on to plan your visit to this year’s festival—we’re telling you right now, you’re going to need more than one day!

The Topiaries
Disney topiaries are truly spectacular, and the sculpted shrubbery never disappoints during Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Make sure to say “Bonjour!” to a brand-new Belle topiary in the France Pavilion. Joining a new generation of princess topiaries (Snow White, Anna, and Elsa made their debut last year), this topiary will have sculpted facial features. Enchanté! Speaking of Anna and Elsa, be sure to stop by their topiaries when the sun sets—Elsa’s snowy garden is designed to sparkle after dark. This year’s festival also marks the topiary debut of everyone’s favorite imaginary dragon, Figment. Each year we look forward to a new topiary garden at the entrance to World Showcase, and this year we’ll be greeted by Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Daisy, and Pluto in “Welcome Spring Fun, Food and Flowers,” a garden inspired by a vintage Walt Disney short film. Keep your eyes peeled as you make your way through the festival—there are nearly 100 topiaries!

The Eats
What would a festival at Epcot be without amazing eats? This year, two new kitchens—Northern Bloom and The Berry Basket––bring the grand total of Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Outdoor Kitchens to a whopping 15—you’re going to need more than one day to take it all in! Topping our list of must-eats? Macaron Chocolate Framboise from Fleur De Lys, Home-Made Falafel from Taste of Marrakesh, and Seared Scallops (pictured above) from Northern Bloom. Yum! Check out the full list of eats here.

The Beats
Garden Rocks, the festival’s weekend concert series, returns every Friday through Monday with a can’t-miss line-up of 1960s, ‘70s, ’80s, and ‘90s bands, like the Gin Blossoms (pictured above). “We’re so excited” for the three back-to-back weekends featuring The Pointer Sisters (see what we did there), Simple Plan, and the Plain White T’s, respectively. Check out the full line-up here. (P.S. You can reserve seating and dining for select weekends during the festival––see available dates here).

The Take-Home Treats
How cute are Minnie and Mickey in this Flower & Garden-exclusive design? Keep an eye out for that feisty Figment, too! Pin traders will be delighted by these limited-edition and limited-release options (we love the Mickey and Minnie-inspired butterflies). See the full spread here.

Will you be attending Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival this year? Be sure to use #FreshEpcot on your foodie and floral pics!

5 Fascinating Facts—Disney Legend Burny Mattinson

February 27, 2017June 18, 2018

By Steven Vagnini

“Animation is 75 percent thinking and 25 percent drawing,” Disney Legend and Walt Disney Animation Studios animation director Burny Mattinson once said. “Everything must be carefully thought out first. Our animators not only have to think like actors but have to figure out how to get that performance across on paper and on the screen. Our characters pause to think and connive. You can see it in their eyes.”

To achieve such a performance—conceived in the artist’s mind and brought forth from pencil to paper—requires exacting skill and patience, but also a deep passion for the animation process. The result is the spectacular illusion of life for which Disney animation has become so renowned—withstanding the changes of eras as each new generation discovers amazing tales, characters, and life lessons through the miracle of moving drawings.

Burny Mattinson and Vincent Price — Burny working with Vincent Price (Ratigan) in the recording studio for *The Great Mouse Detective* (1986)

Burny’s philosophy has shown forth in his work during his more than 60-year history with The Walt Disney Company. As we anticipate D23’s upcoming Lunch with a Disney Legend: Burny Mattinson on April 7, we present five fascinating facts about this legendary artist, animator, director, producer, and storyman whose contributions have ignited the imaginations of millions.

1. Burny grew up as a big Disney—and animation—fan.
At the tender age of 6, Burnett Mattinson entered the San Francisco Orpheum with his mother and experienced his first Disney picture on the big screen: Pinocchio (1940). The film had a profound impact on the young “Golden City” native, who soon found himself drawing original characters and dreaming of becoming an animator. “Ever since I saw that film, this was my dream—to work in this business,” Burny recalled years later. “So I worked every day, drawing.”

2. A bold visit to the Disney Studio launched Burny’s career.
Although he had no formal art training, Burny was determined to join the staff of The Walt Disney Studios after graduating from high school. One day, after his mother dropped him off at the Studio gate, Burny met with a security guard who became impressed with the 18-year-old’s portfolio. The guard immediately called Ken Seiling, the head of Personnel, who offered Burny an interview and, ultimately, a job as a traffic boy in the Studio mail room.

3. Burny was mentored by industry giants while climbing the rungs of the animation ladder.
After a six-month stint in the traffic department—which included stops at Walt Disney’s office wing every week—Burny became an in-betweener on Lady and the Tramp (1955) and, later, an assistant animator to one of the legendary Nine Old Men, Marc Davis, on Sleeping Beauty (1959) and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). He then worked for 12 years under another renowned animator, Eric Larson, while mastering the animation of Ludwig Von Drake for Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color (1961) and contributing to such features as The Sword in the Stone (1963) and The Aristocats (1970). As the Nine Old Men began to retire, Burny completed an animation training program and became a key animator on Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974) before being recruited by Frank Thomas to work on storyboards for The Rescuers (1977). “Then Woolie Reitherman, who was a director, asked, ‘Would you stay [in the Story Department]?’” Burny later remembered. “And I said, ‘Ok!’ I started loving making the story because there is something very creative about it. It was never hard.”

Burny working on Mickey's Christmas Carol — Burny working on *Mickey’s Christmas Carol* (1983)

4. Burny’s recollection of a record album prompted Mickey’s return to the big screen after 30 years.
By the early 1980s, Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts were a thing of the past. In fact, Mickey’s last theatrical film, The Simple Things, was released on April 18, 1953. But Burny’s recollection of a 1974 Disneyland Records Christmas album prompted the storyman to pitch the idea for Mickey’s big return to theaters. He received the go-ahead from then-Walt Disney Productions President Ron Miller in May 1981, leading Burny to produce and direct the 1983 featurette Mickey’s Christmas Carol. With the film’s success, Burny reprised the role of director and producer for another mouse-related venture: The Great Mouse Detective (1986).

Burny Mattinson with Aladdin storyboards — Burny reviewing storyboard sketches for *Aladdin* (1992)

5. Burny holds major records in Disney animation history.
In more recent years, Burny has contributed to development and story on beloved films from Beauty and the Beast (1991) to Winnie the Pooh (2011). In 2013, just a few years after being honored as a Disney Legend, Burny celebrated his 60th year at Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he holds the status of the team’s longest-serving staff member and the last full-time Walt Disney Studios employee who worked there during Walt’s time.

Every Disney Moment (and Win!) From the 2017 Oscars®

February 27, 2017April 19, 2021

By D23 Team

The Walt Disney Company took home four Oscars® during the 2017 Academy Awards, but those weren’t the only Disney highlights during the show! Read on for our favorite moments from the star-studded event.

O.J.: Made in America wins Best Documentary (Feature)
ESPN took home its first Oscar® in the Documentary (Feature) category for their multi-part series on O.J. Simpson.

Auli’i Cravalho and Lin-Manuel Miranda perform “How Far I’ll Go”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, voice of Maui in Moana, introduced the duo for their performance of the Oscar ®-nominated song “How Far I’ll Go,” with a special new prologue rapped by Lin-Manuel.

Piper wins Best Short Film (Animated)

Piper wins Best Short Film (Animated)
The adorable Disney•Pixar short that delighted audiences before Finding Dory took home the Oscar® for Best Short Film (Animated).

Zootopia wins Best Animated Feature

Zootopia wins Best Animated Feature
Anyone can be anything, including an Oscar® winner! This year’s Oscars brought Walt Disney Animation Studios a dual nomination in the Animated Feature category with both Moana and Zootopia receiving nominations. Zootopia co-directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore and producer Clark Spencer took the stage to celebrate the wild win. “Five years ago, we got this crazy idea of talking about humanity with talking animals in the hopes that when the film came out, it would make the world just a slightly better place,” Zootopia co-director Howard said in accepting the film’s Oscar. Fellow director Moore continued, “And we are so grateful to the audiences all over the world who embraced this film with this story of tolerance being more powerful than fear of the other.”

Jimmy Kimmel and Sunny Pawar reenact The Lion King

Jimmy Kimmel and Sunny Pawar reenact The Lion King
After a quick chat with the young Lion star, Sunny helped Jimmy announce the next air drop of sweets with this Rafiki-esque moment.

Felicity Jones and Riz Ahmed Take the Stage

Felicity Jones and Riz Ahmed Take the Stage
The stars of Rogue One were on hand to present the award for Best Visual Effects.

The Jungle Book wins Best Visual Effects

The Jungle Book wins Best Visual Effects
Disney was nominated three times in this category, with The Jungle Book and its stunning photorealistic animals and environments taking home the Oscar®.

Get Revved Up for an Exclusive First Look at the Poster Art of Cars

February 27, 2017

By Jocelyn Buhlman

While we continue racing toward the June 16 opening of the animated feature Cars 3, we’re taking a side trip into the immersive Cars universe via the upcoming book Poster Art of Cars: Collecting More Than a Hundred Posters and Graphics from Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering.

D23 has an exclusive look at some of the beautiful and detailed art inspired by the Cars movies, Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, and the Cars Toons series. If you’re longing for a drive through the world of Cars, check out some of these exclusive images, and be ready to start your engines when this book releases in May 2017!

Click each image below to get a closer look.

6 Degrees of Walt Disney—How The 2017 Oscar® Nominees Relate to Walt

February 23, 2017February 23, 2017

By Nicole Nalty

From live-action films to animated features, Walt Disney was a giant in the film industry (did you know he won 32 Academy Awards^®?), so it’s no surprise that even the stars of today can be connected to Mr. Disney. Take a look below and see how the 2017 Actor and Actress in a Leading Role nominees can be traced back to Walt, and make sure to watch the Academy Awards this Sunday, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC.

These Disney Academy Awards Aren’t Your Normal Oscars®

February 23, 2017April 19, 2021

By Becky Cline

On Oscar^® Sunday, February 26, Hollywood’s best and brightest will again gather at the Dolby Theatre for the 89th annual Academy Awards^®. Disney is nominated in six categories, with Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana and Zootopia both nominated for best Animated Feature Film—continuing the legacy of Walt Disney, who still holds the record for winning the most individual Academy Awards in history, with 32 to his credit, including many very special ones.

Walt holding two Academy Awards

Of course, the most well-known of Walt Disney’s “Oscars” is the Special Academy Award that was given to Walt Disney in 1939 to recognize the significance of his brilliant animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs—“recognized as a significant screen innovation which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field for the motion picture cartoon.” That very special award was presented to Walt Disney by Shirley Temple, and features a full-size Oscar statuette and seven “dwarf-sized” miniature versions that accompany it. But most people don’t realize that there are even smaller Oscars that have been given out.

Walt receiving an Academy Award for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Today, actors are nominated in each acting category, regardless of their age, but that wasn’t always so. In 1934, the Academy established the Academy Juvenile Award to recognize actors under the age of 18 for their “outstanding contributions to screen entertainment.” This Oscar statuette was as “pint-sized” as its recipients—standing only 7 inches tall (the full award is 13-1/2” high). Disney actor Bobby Driscoll was presented the award in 1950 for his performance in the Disney feature So Dear to My Heart (1949), as was Hayley Mills in 1960 for her tour de force performance as the title character in Pollyanna (1960).

And the Oscars actually get even smaller than that!

Each year, an Oscar winner is allowed to request a special 1-inch miniature 18-karat gold charm “Oscar” for each award that is won. The charms are one inch tall and are made by a Beverly Hills jeweler under exclusive license from the Academy. Each charm is engraved on the bottom with the name of the honoree, the film that it honors, and the year that the film was released.

Walt Disney holding his Oscar charm necklace

And as the record holder for Oscars… Walt Disney requested a lot of them. A photo taken in 1954 shows Walt holding up the 20 gold charms that he acquired from the Academy. His intention was to have them made into a necklace for his wife, Lillian, but when she told him she would prefer a bracelet, he had the ultimate Hollywood linked charm bracelet designed for her—a gift that she loved and proudly wore often. In her later years, Lilly gave the treasured bracelet to one of her granddaughters and today it can be seen on display at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

Gold Oscar charms requested by Walt Disney

But Walt was not the only Disney Oscar winner to make a special bracelet for his love. After winning an Academy Award for Special Visual Effects in Mary Poppins in 1965, Disney Legend Peter Ellenshaw acquired one of the gold Oscar charms and created a very unique and outstandingly beautiful bracelet for his own beloved wife, Bobbie. He took the single charm and created a 7 1/4” long bracelet by adding seven hand-painted framed miniatures—all versions of subjects that he had previously painted over the years in “normal size.”

Peter Ellenshaw's Oscar charms

According to son Harrison Ellenshaw, who shared this photo with D23, the links feature [from L-R] a seascape (in Hawaii or California); The Sea Cloud (a clipper ship); County Kerry, Ireland; a desert scene with the San Jacinto Mountains in background; the Ring of Kerry in Ireland; the Skellig Islands, also in Ireland; and a desert pool.

Over the years, other unique awards have been presented to Walt and additional Disney luminaries. In 1932, Walt Disney was presented with his very first Academy Award, for the 1931–32 Cartoon Short Subject for Flowers and Trees, but that was also the year that he received his first Special Award from the Academy–an Oscar for the creation of Mickey Mouse. Others soon followed.

Walt receiving the Irving Thalberg Memorial Award

In 1942, Walt was given the very prestigious Irving Thalberg Memorial Award, which is occasionally awarded to “Creative producers, whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production.” Walt Disney was the youngest person ever to win it, and when legendary producer David O. Selznick presented the award to Walt, he was so overcome by the honor that he openly wept, saying, “I want to thank everybody here. This is a vote of confidence from the whole industry.” When Walt returned to his seat, Irving Thalberg’s widow, actress Norma Shearer, was so touched that she went over to Walt and gave him a little kiss.

In 1948, a special Honorary Award was given by the Academy to Disney actor James Baskett to honor his outstanding performance in Disney’s 1946 film Song of the South—for his “able and heartwarming characterization of Uncle Remus, friend and storyteller to the children of the world.”

And finally, there are the Special and Scientific/Technical Awards that have been given to the film wizards at The Walt Disney Company over the years. The first was given to Walt Disney Productions for the design and application to production of the Multiplane Camera in 1938, kicking off decades of amazing film technological achievements. The most recent are the two newest Disney Academy Awards given out just last week to Kiran Bhat, Michael Koperwas, Brian Cantwell, and Paige Warner for the design and development of the ILM facial performance-capture solving system and to Brian Whited for the design and development of the Meander drawing system at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

How Your Disney Cup of Coffee Can Help Peruvian Communities

February 23, 2017

By Nicole Nalty

Are you a fan of Joffrey’s Coffee? Your morning cup of joe at Disney theme parks just got sweeter thanks to a brand-new eco-friendly blend. Grown in Peru as part of Disney and Conservation International’s Alto Mayo forest project, this new high-quality, organic press-pot coffee will be available in select restaurants this month and will make its way to favorite table-service restaurants later this spring.

Alto Mayo is a protected forest in Peru that spans 450,000 acres––that’s twice the size of New York City! Disney collaborated with Conservation International to train local farmers in Peru on sustainable farming methods, among other efforts to reduce deforestation. Because of this, there is less of a need to expand farming areas, which decreases deforestation (Plus, the coffee’s really good!).

Here’s where you can find this new blend at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts this month (P.S. Don’t forget your D23 Discount!):

Walt Disney World Resort

Disneyland Resort

Do You Know All of Walt Disney’s Record-Breaking 32 Academy Awards®?

February 23, 2017March 26, 2018

By Jocelyn Buhlman

Walt Disney currently holds the world record for most Academy Awards® presented to any individual. As we enter Oscars® season, let’s take time to celebrate many of the unique awards Walt Disney has personally won for his groundbreaking work in film. And the Oscar® goes to…

Flowers and Trees (Cartoon Short Subject, 1931–32)
This Silly Symphony cartoon was made in color at Walt Disney’s insistance, and the effort paid off—not only with this first-ever award for Best Cartoon Short Subject, but with the ground-breaking use of Technicolor, which would become an industry standard.

Special Award to Walt Disney for the creation of Mickey Mouse (1932)
It all started with a mouse, and the Academy was duly impressed with what one little mouse managed to begin. For creating our favorite leader of the club, Walt Disney received his first Oscar statue.

Three Little Pigs (Cartoon Short Subject, 1932–33)
This little cartoon became so famous that it often ranked higher on theater marquees than the full-length film it accompanied. The popularity of this film, along with its strongly defined characters and its instantly classic song, secured Walt an award for Best Cartoon Short Subject.

The Tortoise and the Hare (Cartoon Production, 1934)
The Disney-fied retelling of a classic Aesop fable earned Walt an award for producing another wonderful Silly Symphony.

Three Orphan Kittens (Cartoon Production, 1935)
Charming the hearts of viewers (and Academy voters!) everywhere, this tale of three castaway kittens once again granted Walt an award for Cartoon Production.

The Country Cousin (Cartoon Short Subject, 1936)
Walt won the award for Cartoon Short Subject for his Silly Symphony about a country mouse learning the perils of city mouse life.

The Old Mill (Cartoon Short Subject, 1937) 
An animated short so groundbreaking it garnered Walt two Academy Awards, The Old Mill was a dramatic Silly Symphony short that used the multiplane camera for the first time ever

Top Technical Award to Walt Disney Productions for the design and application to production of the Multi-Plane Camera (1937)
The multiplane camera first used in The Old Mill changed animation forever by allowing for more depth and detail in every scene. For his studio to pioneer such a groundbreaking technology, Walt was recognized with a Top Technical Award.

Ferdinand the Bull (Cartoon Short Subject, 1938) 
Sweet and gentle Ferdinand first appeared in this Academy Award-winning short and was even voiced by Walt Disney himself!

Special Award to Walt Disney for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1939)
The Academy famously awarded Walt with a very special award, featuring one regular-sized Oscar and seven smaller ones. This award was presented to him to recognize Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as “a significant screen innovation which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field for the motion picture cartoon.”

The Ugly Duckling (Cartoon Short Subject, 1939)
Walt’s take on this classic children’s tale (and the very last Silly Symphony) earned an Academy Award for Best Cartoon Short Subject, giving the groundbreaking Silly Symphony series the send-off it deserved.

Irving Thalberg Memorial Award to Walt Disney for “the most consistent high quality of production achievement by an individual producer” (1942)
The reason we list Walt’s record-breaking wins as “Academy Awards” and not “Oscars” is because not all of Walt’s awards are Oscar statuettes. Take this win, for instance: Walt did not receive an Oscar statuette but instead a special award in the form of a bust of Irving Thalberg.

Special Technical Award for “outstanding contribution to the advancement of the use of sound in motion pictures through the production of Fantasia” (1942)
Fantasia has inspired generations of animators and artists with its innovative combination of animation and symphonic music, so it’s only natural that Walt received a special award for his inspiring use of sound in this Disney classic.

Lend a Paw (Cartoon Short Subject, 1941)
Depicting Pluto in a moral crisis over a cuddly kitten, this short that is full of classic and charming Disney antics won Walt another award for Best Cartoon Short Subject.

Der Fuehrer’s Face (Best Cartoon Short Subject, 1942–43)
This famous political cartoon depicts Donald Duck enduring a nightmare about the horrors of Nazi Germany and won an Academy Award for its timely, topical content.

Seal Island (Two-Reel Short Subject, 1948)
Seal Island is not only significant for Walt’s Oscar win, but also for being the very first Disney True-Life Adventure film, kicking off a tradition of films which is still carried on today with the Disneynature series.

In Beaver Valley (Two-Reel Short Subject, 1950)
Walt’s foray into nature films continues its success with this win for a short film depicting the lives of beavers in their natural community.

Nature’s Half Acre (Two-Reel Short Subject, 1951)
Notable for the film’s use of time-lapse photography, this win for Walt tells the amazing story of intricate ecosystems in the “grass-roots” world of insects.

Water Birds (Two-Reel Short Subject, 1952)
Walt wins again with this insightful film on the lives of water birds, covering everything from survival adaptations and courtships to feeding habits.

The Living Desert (Documentary Feature, 1953) 
A landmark film in factual filmmaking, this documentary on how even somewhere as dry and arid as the desert can still be teeming with life earned Walt his first win for Documentary Feature. The Living Desert was also the first film to be released by Disney’s own Buena Vista Distribution.

Bear Country (Two-Reel Short Subject, 1953)
This tale of the American black bear not only won Walt another one of his record-breaking Academy Awards, but also helped inspire Disneyland attractions, such as the True-Life Adventures-inspired Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland, which also featured sections themed to The Living Desert and Beaver Valley.

The Alaskan Eskimo (Documentary Short Subject, 1953)
Walt’s win with this film was both the first in his People and Places series and the first win in the category of Documentary Short Subject.

Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Cartoon Short Subject, 1953)
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom is not just significant for being another of Walt’s wins, but also for being the first cartoon filmed in Cinemascope and featuring artist Eyvind Earle’s first work with Disney animation.

The Vanishing Prairie (Documentary Feature, 1954)
A team of 12 photographers helped make this story of buffalo, prairie dogs, and other critters become another winning True-Life Adventure film.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Achievement with Special Effects, 1954)
Jules Verne’s classic tale of undersea adventure was brought to spectacular life by The Walt Disney Studios, with special effects including a 50-foot-long hydraulic giant squid and a set for the submarine Nautilus that was later displayed at Disneyland. This whale of a tale won Walt a well-deserved Academy Award for special effects.

Men Against the Arctic (Documentary Short Subject, 1955)
Focusing on the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreakers in the Arctic, Walt won again with this entry in his People and Places series.

The Wetback Hound (Live-Action Short Subject, 1957; Walt Disney, Executive Producer; Larry Lansburgh, Producer)
This tale of a dog on the run not only won Walt an Academy Award, but also awards from the Southern California Motion Picture Council and the Berlin International Film Festival.

White Wilderness (Documentary Feature, 1958)
A dozen photographers spent three years in the Arctic to create this masterpiece that received another Best Documentary Feature award for Walt.

Grand Canyon (Live-Action Short Subject, 1958)
This beautiful film about the Grand Canyon not only gave Walt his 29th Academy Award, but also inspired the Grand Canyon diorama on The Disneyland Railroad.

Ama Girls (Documentary Short Subject, 1958; Walt Disney, Executive Producer; Ben Sharpsteen, Producer)
Following the life of an “Ama Girl,” or a Japanese diving girl who searches the seas for a type of seaweed called “Heaven Grass,” this film emphasized her stamina and skill. Ama Girls won Walt his last Documentary Short Subject Academy Award.

The Horse with the Flying Tail (Documentary Feature, 1960; Walt Disney, Executive Producer; Larry Lansburgh, Producer)
This heartwarming tale of Nautical, the star jumper of the U.S. Equestrian team, was originally made for television, but deemed good enough for theatrical release. It was so good, in fact, that Walt won his 31st Academy Award.

Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (Cartoon Short Subject, 1968; Walt Disney, Executive Producer)
This Disney classic was the last Oscar awarded to Walt specifically. He won posthumously for his work on this animated short about our favorite chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff.

Disney Oscar® Ballot Winners Revealed

February 23, 2017April 19, 2021

In celebration of the Academy Awards^®, airing this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC, we asked you to fill out our very own Disney ballot. You voted—and the results are in! Read on to see which heroes, songs, and films were your favorites in 2016.

Captain America

Best Hero in a Starring Role

WINNER-Captain America/Steve Rogers—Captain America: Civil War
Iron Man/Tony Stark—Captain America: Civil War
Doctor Strange/Stephen Strange—Doctor Strange
Mowgli—The Jungle Book
Cassian Andor—Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Moana

Best Heroine in a Starring Role

Jyn Erso—Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
WINNER-Moana—Moana
Dory—Finding Dory
Judy Hopps—Zootopia
Alice Kingsleigh—Alice Through the Looking Glass

Moana

Original Song We Can’t Get Out of Our Heads

WINNER-“How Far I’ll Go”—Moana
“Try Everything”—Zootopia
“You’re Welcome”—Moana
“Something Wild”—Pete's Dragon
“Bare Necessities”—The Jungle Book

Moana

Most Heartfelt Film

Zootopia
Finding Dory
The BFG
Pete’s Dragon
WINNER-Moana
Queen of Katwe

Darth Vader

Most Thrilling Film

Captain America: Civil War
The Jungle Book
Doctor Strange
WINNER-Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Alice Through the Looking Glass
The Finest Hours

Academy Award Winner Dustin Lance Black Talks About Bringing When We Rise to ABC—and His Disney Favorites

February 23, 2017February 23, 2017

By Jeffrey Epstein

When Dustin Lance Black was thinking about creating a miniseries based on the lives of real pioneers who were a part of the LGBT civil rights movement, he had only one network in mind: ABC. “Growing up in a conservative, Southern, military, Christian home, the network I was allowed to watch was ABC,” explains Black, who won an Academy Award^® for writing 2009’s Milk. “ABC told family stories. When I heard ABC was willing to tell the story of my other family, my LGBT family, I thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Black also penned the Clint Eastwood-directed J. Edgar, as well as the play 8, based on the Federal Proposition 8 trial, which starred George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Black took time to talk from his London home about his Disney favorites, Oscar speech advice, and bringing the epic tale of When We Rise, which premieres on ABC February 27, to the small screen.

When We Rise is an original story based on the lives of real people. How did you figure out who would be in the mix?
I had long wanted to do something more comprehensive with the LGBT movement after Milk. It took me about a year to figure out who I could depict and it was a difficult process. I wanted these people to have come from other social justice movements, because any social justice movement that only pays attention to its own needs is being shortsighted. I wanted them to come from the women’s, racial civil rights or peace movements. I also wanted them to have been activists for most of their lives so I could start depicting them as young people who could grow with the series’ 45-year arc. Last, but not least, I felt that it was important to finally tell an LGBT story that could be funny, dramatic, and emotional and, yes, political. And the characters didn’t have to die at the end, because I’ve made that movie before, and I wanted people to still be alive. That really narrowed things down.

You’ve worked with and have been friends with activist Cleve Jones, who is a character in the series. Was he a good jumping-off point for you?
I started meeting with people all over the country. When I got to San Francisco he was definitely the go-to guy to introduce me to more people. I didn’t know I would depict him until I was months into research and realized just how unique his story is. Most activists last three to six years. It’s not profitable or forgiving work. My mother had always called him the “gay Forrest Gump,” meaning he had been in every single major moment in the movement for LGBT equality and he always tried to do the right thing. So it eventually became clear he’d be one of the people I depicted.

Like Roots, When We Rise tracks central characters through civil and human right struggles over the course of several decades. Was that series at all an inspiration?
I will never, ever be so bold as to compare When We Rise to Roots. I remember how impactful Roots was for me. So if anybody cares to draw a parallel that’s the biggest compliment they could ever pay me. I will say it gave me courage. It gave me courage in two ways. One was to focus the series on the family relationships. And two, it gave me the courage to tell a story that spans decades, generations.

What are some of the differences between developing an eight-hour miniseries versus a two-hour feature?
A two-hour feature film is a like poem. You better know what it is you have to say. It better be incredibly distilled, because you don’t have much time to do it and do it right. In a miniseries you can go deeper, you can tell more. I wish I had another four hours, so I could’ve gone even deeper. But certainly to have been afforded eight was quite a gift.

Why is now the right time to tell these stories?
Even four years ago I was starting to talk about my frustration with how the LGBT movement had become myopic. It seemed like all we talked about was ourselves. The only thing we gave our time and energy to was our own causes. And we had forgotten that our great strength is in how we’ve collaborated with other social justice movements. You just have to look to Harvey Milk. He actually built those coalitions. That’s how he won. I asked ABC to keep the “We” in the title bigger than any other word, because that’s what makes us strong.

You gave an incredible and memorable speech when you won your Oscar in 2009. What advice would you give to potential winners when thinking about what they would say on the podium on February 26?
The advice I took was don’t go up there with a written list of names. Nobody knows who the names are, nobody cares. There might be some you really need to say and want to say, go get through that quickly and then you’ve got to speak from the heart. People who make movies were making them from the heart, right? I think it’s an opportunity to share that passion. And every movie, every role, has its story, so just figure out what the one-minute version of that is, and tell it when you get on that stage.

Do you have a favorite Disney film?
Pete’s Dragon because it’s the first movie my mother ever took me to. Right before I lost my mom two years ago she thought it was important I see it again, so she got me a DVD of Pete’s Dragon.

Do you have a first or favorite Disney memory?
When I was in my early teens, my family moved back to California. It was a tough time for my family for a lot of reasons. And we saved up and we went down to Disneyland. Now it wasn’t my first time at Disneyland but I didn’t have clear memories of my first time there until I went on the rides. As I sat on it’s a small world, I remembered being there with my father and my mother at a far better time in our lives. When I went on the Peter Pan ride I remember sitting next to my father. I had no memories of my father, I thought. Yet there he was. And when I left, I left with all these memories of what a family could be again. I left with hope in my heart. And I think that’s part of what Disney gives: joy and hope. I was a little teen who desperately needed that.