A true trailblazer in both visual storytelling and humanitarian ac- tivism, Emmy Award-winning director Abigail E. Disney champions equality and human rights as she focuses on projects that foster peace, justice and human understanding.
After years as a not-for-profit volunteer activist and stay-at-home mother, Abigail turned to documentaries. She started and led Fork Films as CEO, inspired at the outset to tell the story of a brave group of women who used nonviolent protests to bring an end to Liberia's long civil war. Along with renowned filmmaker Gini Reticker, she made the widely acclaimed Pray the Devil Back to Hell and created the subsequent five-part PBS series, Women, War & Peace. Since founding Fork Films, the company has produced and funded over 100 documentary films, shining a light on some of the most challenging social issues of our time.
Abigail is also the co-founder and chair of Level Forward, an entertainment company that develops, pro- duces and finances multi-platform storytelling while exploring ways to extend the work's opportunity and influence to advance economic transformation and equity. Current work includes films from Nicole Riegel, Celine Held and Logan George, Semi Chellas' feature film debut, the Broadway shows Oklahoma! and What The Constitution Means To Me, the website Rotten Apples, and the industry-wide Gun Neutral initiative.
She is also the founder of Peace Is Loud, a non-profit that uses storytelling to advance social movements and the Daphne Foundation, which supports organizations working for a more equitable, fair and peaceful New York City. Abigail is the recipient of numerous awards, including an honor from the International Women's Media Foundation for advancing women's issues and peace initiatives, the Amicus Award from the International Documentary Association and the Cardozo Law School's International Advocate for Peace Award. Added to all her impressive accomplishments, she is a mother of four.
The
Woodstock Film Festival
is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization with a mission to present an annual program and year-round schedule of film, music, and art-related activities that promote artists, culture, inspired learning, and diversity. The
Hudson Valley Film Commission
promotes sustainable economic development by attracting and supporting film, video and media production.
