Abigail Disney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Abigail Disney
Born	Abigail Edna Disney (1960-01-24) January 24, 1960 (age 65) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Yale University (BA) Stanford University (MA) Columbia University (PhD)
Occupation	Film producer, philanthropist
Years active	2008–present
Known for	Pray the Devil Back to Hell
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Pierre Hauser ​ (m. 1988)​
Children	4
Parent(s)	Roy E. Disney
Relatives	Disney family

Abigail Edna Disney (born January 24, 1960) is an American film producer and social activist. She is also a philanthropist, which means she gives money and time to help others. Abigail is a member of the famous Disney family.

She is known for producing important documentary films. These include Pray the Devil Back to Hell (2008). She also directed and produced The Armor of Light (2015) and The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales (2022). Both of these films won an Emmy Award for being outstanding documentaries about social issues.

Early Life and Education

Abigail Disney is the daughter of Patricia Ann and Roy E. Disney. Her grandfather was Roy O. Disney. He helped start The Walt Disney Company with his brother, Walt Disney. Walt Disney was Abigail's great-uncle.

Abigail grew up in North Hollywood, California. She went to the Buckley School. In 1982, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Yale University. Later, she received a Master of Arts degree from Stanford University. She also earned a PhD in philosophy from Columbia University in 1994. While studying for her PhD, she taught English and American literature at Iona College.

Film Production Career

Abigail Disney followed her family's path into film. She started by producing a documentary called Pray the Devil Back to Hell. Gini Reticker directed this film.

Pray the Devil Back to Hell

Pray the Devil Back to Hell showed the amazing work of Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee. It told the story of how women helped bring peace to Liberia. Liberia was a country dealing with war. The film won Best Documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2008. It was shown in 60 countries around the world.

In 2007, Abigail and Gini Reticker started Fork Films. This was a film production company in New York. Abigail was the president and CEO. In 2009, Fork Films helped create a "Global Peace Tour" for Pray the Devil Back to Hell. This tour showed the film in many countries and U.S. cities. Leymah Gbowee, the main person in the film, won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. This was because of her bravery and efforts for peace.

Women, War & Peace

The success of Pray the Devil Back to Hell led Abigail to work on a special series for PBS. It was called Women, War & Peace. This series aired in 2011. It won several awards, including the Edward R. Murrow Award. The series explored the role of women in modern wars. It showed women not just as victims, but as active leaders for peace. In 2011, Abigail Disney received an Athena Film Festival Award. This award recognized her great use of film for social change.

The Armor of Light

Abigail Disney also produced The Trials of Spring (2015). This project included a documentary and six short films. She also directed and produced The Armor of Light (2015). This film looked at the issue of gun violence in the United States. It focused on the story of Jordan Davis, a young man who died in an incident in Jacksonville, Florida. The film also explored "stand-your-ground laws." The Armor of Light premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015. In 2017, it won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary.

In 2018, Abigail Disney helped start Level Forward. This is a new type of company that makes films, TV shows, and theater productions. It focuses on projects that support new voices and creative ideas. Fork Films, her earlier company, closed down in October 2022.

Community Activism and Philanthropy

Abigail Disney and her husband, Pierre Hauser, are very involved in helping communities. In 1991, they created The Daphne Foundation. This foundation helps fund programs that fight poverty in New York City.

In 2008, Abigail started Peace is Loud. This is a non-profit organization. It uses media and events to highlight women leaders who work for peace. Abigail is the founder and president of this group.

In 2011, Abigail traveled with Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee to the Congo. They worked with women peace activists there. They explored ideas for building peace in the country. The next year, they visited Sri Lanka. There, women activists started a peace agenda, inspired by Leymah Gbowee's work.

In 2012, Abigail Disney decided not to keep her share of profits from a family investment. This investment was in a cosmetics company called Ahava. The company's factory was in a West Bank settlement. She felt it was wrong to profit from resources in an occupied area. She donated her investments and profits to groups working to stop this kind of exploitation.

In May 2015, Abigail joined Leymah Gbowee and 28 other women peacebuilders. They crossed the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. This was a show of solidarity with Korean women. They called for an end to the Korean War. The peacebuilders held meetings in Pyongyang and Seoul. They listened to Korean women and shared ideas about how women can help end conflicts.

Abigail Disney is also part of a group called The Patriotic Millionaires. This group includes wealthy people who believe in raising taxes for the rich. They have spoken out about this at events like the World Economic Forum.

Personal Life

Abigail Disney married Pierre Norman Hauser in 1988. They live in New York City and have four children.

Abigail Disney is a member of the Democratic Party. She has also donated to the party.

Filmography

Film

Awards and Recognition

Abigail Disney has received many awards for her work. These awards recognize her efforts in film and social change.

Awards

• The Women's Image Network Awards (2015) – Woman of the Year Honoree
• Global Women's Rights Awards (2009) – with Gini Reticker and Leymah Gbowee
• Auburn Lives of Commitment Award (2009)
• 1st Annual Media Awards (2009) – with Gini Reticker
• Visionary Social Change Award (2011)
• Athena Award (2011) – with Gini Reticker
• International Advocate for Peace Award (2011)
• 2012 Gracie Award for Outstanding Producer-News/Nonfiction for Women, War & Peace (2012)
• The James Park Morton Interfaith Award (2012) – with Leymah Gbowee
• Morton Deutsch Award for Social Justice (2014)
• Legacy Award (2014)
• Public Health Change Champion Award (2014)
• IWMF (International Women's Media Foundation) Courage in Journalism Awards: Leadership Honoree (2015)