Abigail E. Disney is a filmmaker, philanthropist and activist based in New York City. She has pursued a wide array of activities in support of peace and non-violence, particularly by advocating for the advancement of women's roles in the public sphere. Her longtime passion for women's issues and peacebuilding led her to producing films. She has executive produced films that address various social issues, including Family Affair, Playground, Sun Come Up (Academy Award Nominee 2011, Best Documentary Short), Return, Invisible War (Academy Award Nominee 2012, Best Documentary Feature) and Open Heart (Academy Award Nominee 2012, Best Documentary Short); and she was involved in several additional films in various stages of development and production.
Her first film, a feature-length documentary called Pray the Devil Back to Hell, tells the inspirational story of the women of Liberia's pivotal role in bringing peace to their broken nation after more than a decade of destructive civil war. After winning the Best Documentary Feature award at the Tribeca Film Festival, Pray the Devil Back to Hell went on to wide acclaim. Viewed across the U.S. at community screenings, in theaters and on public television, it went on to screen in 60 countries around the world and was broadly credited with helping its lead figure, Leymah Gbowee, be named a Nobel Peace laureate in 2011.
In bringing Pray the Devil Back to Hell to more than 30 countries herself, Disney recognized the need to support grassroots women's movements for peace in their local contexts, and she started the nonprofit organization Peace is Loud to identify and back women who are stepping up for peace and resisting violence in their communities. Since 2009, Peace is Loud has been building on and amplifying their stories and helping them to find broader recognition for their crucial work. In her capacity as founder of Peace Is Loud, Disney has worked with women's groups in many countries to help develop their strategies for peace.
The success of Disney's first film led to more film opportunities, including the five-part special series for PBS, Women, War & Peace, which aired in 2011. This series was a first-of-its-kind look at the role of women in war in the modern age, not just at victims of conflict but as active agents for peace in their communities. The fifth hour in the series, War Redefined, looks at war and particularly at the weapons trade as a women's issue, and analyzes women's role in building peace around the world. Fork Films, Disney's production company with her filmmaking partner Gini Reticker, has created a screening series in-a-box set, which Peace Is Loud was working to distribute to community-based organizations around the world to assist them in their work for peace.
Tribeca Film
