Occupation Producer Name Elena Engel | ||
Full Name Elena Francesca Engel Alma mater University of Oregon (B.A.)University of Washington(MA) Similar Angelina Jolie, Jimmy Kimmel, Amr Diab | ||
Elena F. Engel is a producer/director of film, video, radio and audio for The Walt Disney Company, Amblin Entertainment, Simon & Schuster Films, UNICEF (United Nations), Western Publishing Company, National Public Radio, Warner Brothers Inc., Sesame Street, and The Disney Channel.
Contents
- Interview with Director Elena Engel from John Leguizamo Live at Rikers SBIFF23
- Early life and education
- Career
- Public Radio
- The Walt Disney Company
- Azimuth Productions
- Philanthropy
- Professional Credits
- References
Interview with Director Elena Engel from John Leguizamo Live at Rikers #SBIFF23
Early life and education
Elena Engel was born in New York to actress Lillian Engel and theater director Sanford Engel. She attended high school at Point Loma in San Diego, California and went on to get a B.A. in Psychology from The Evergreen State College. Elena pursued graduate work at the University of Washington in creative dramatics where she was an ensemble member of the Poncho's Children's Theatre. She then continued her studies at Actor's Studio with Lee Strasbourg in Hollywood, California.
Career
Engel's career spans more than 20 years in the entertainment industry an award winning writer, producer, and director of film, video, radio and audio recordings. During this time she served as a creative resource to The Walt Disney Company, Warner Brothers, Inc., Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, Simon & Schuster, Western Publishing Company, National Public Radio, and The United Nations.
Public Radio
As Director of Children's Programming at member station KWAX, her weekly show "Kidwax" enjoyed top creative honors from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting three years running. As a recipient of a CPB Producer's Grant with WGBH and a CPB Technical Engineering Grant, Elena went on to produce a radio series featuring traditional storytellers of the Northwest and funded by the National Endowment of the Arts. She also was a regular features contributor to NPR's "All Things Considered".
The Walt Disney Company
Joining The Walt Disney Company, as Writer-Producer-Director of children's audio, Elena received a Grammy nomination, four Gold and two Platinum albums for her efforts. Later, as Executive Producer of Film and video at Disney's Non-Theatrical division, Elena piloted more than seventeen award-winning live action and animated films for the cable television, home video and educational divisions. In addition, she was a creative development contributor to both the EPCOT Educational pavilion at Walt Disney World and the Disney Channel.
Azimuth Productions
Following her work with Disney, Elena formed her own company Azimuth Productions, producing video and film with the talents of Michael Tucker, Joe Spano, Tempestt Bledsoe, Loretta Swit, Ally Sheedy, Giovanni Ribisi, and others. Through Azimuth, Elena also wrote, produced and directed original audio recordings featuring the popular Tiny Toons, Looney Tunes, Super Mario Brothers, Dennis the Menace and Batman characters, as well as developed original children's program concepts for the television market. During this period her film, "Listen to Me," a dramatic story about child abuse, won the prestigious Lillian Gish Award at the Women in Film International Film Festival.
Philanthropy
Elena has been actively involved in humanitarian and non-profit initiatives, notably participating in global travels as a representative of UNICEF. She produced programs for its International Child Survival Campaign, which were broadcast in over forty-five countries. Additionally, Elena has undertaken consultation and video production projects for Mercy Corp International, an NGO dedicated to delivering humanitarian aid and development support across the globe. During her six-year residency in the United Kingdom, she was a member of its European Executive Board.