Iwerks & Co. announced today that Octagon and Cargo Film & Releasing will handle worldwide sales for Leslie Iwerks’ documentary, “Ella Brennan: Commanding the Table.” Octagon is also representing life rights for Brennan’s remarkable and inspiring true story. The feature-length documentary is already gaining acclaim on the festival circuit with sold out screenings at the New Orleans and Mill Valley festivals and recent announcement of upcoming screenings at the 2017 Miami International and San Luis Obispo International Film Festivals. Demand was so high after its world premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival that two additional invite only screenings have been set at the historic Prytania Theatre in New Orleans for this week. Filmmaker Leslie Iwerks has a proven track record bringing stories of visionaries to the screen, with the Emmy Award-nominated “The Pixar Story,” about the rise of Pixar Animation Studios, “Citizen Hearst,” covering 125 years of the Hearst media empire, “Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible,” about George Lucas’ renowned visual effects house, “The Hand Behind the Mouse,” the Ub Iwerks Story about Leslie’s grandfather and designer of Mickey Mouse, among others. She is currently in production on numerous projects including a documentary about Walt Disney’s Imagineers.
Directed by Oscar and Emmy-nominated director Leslie Iwerks, and narrated by Oscar and Tony Award-nominated actress Patricia Clarkson, “Ella Brennan: Commanding the Table” is the behind the scenes story of Commander’s Palace restaurateur Ella Brennan, one of America’s foremost restaurateurs whose life work has cemented New Orleans as a star on the nation’s culinary map. Among the many people that Brennan has influenced, the film features interviews with Emeril Lagasse, Paul Prudhomme, Daniel Boulud, Danny Meyer, Drew Nieporent and Julia Reed.
“We’re pleased to be working with such a talented story teller as Leslie Iwerks. She’s done a magnificent job bringing Ella’s story to life and manages to capture her spirit, her era and her undeniable influence as a pioneer on American food culture,” said David Piperni of Cargo Film & Releasing.
Vice President of Octagon Entertainment division Kyell Thomas, said the following of the project, “it is Octagon’s privilege to work with Ti and the team at Commander’s Palace, and we feel incredibly honored to be associated with this film. Ella Brennan is a singular figure in the culinary world and her story is such a timely example of the role women have played in our country’s culture. Seeing what a gifted filmmaker like Leslie Iwerks has been able to do with the material is so inspiring and we are grateful for her masterful work on this project.”
Before the food business became show business, one woman led the way. At age 18, Brennan went to work at her brother’s bar on Bourbon Street. The New Orleans dining scene had no idea what was about to hit it. The film tracks her work as a pioneer of the modern American food movement, and follows her years of collaboration with chefs like Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse to bring Creole and Cajun flavors into the national vocabulary. Brennan lead Commander’s Palace to be the only spot in the country to earn Zagat’s Most Popular Restaurant Award 18 years in a row. In 2009, Brennan was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the James Beard Foundation.
Brennan’s influence reaches far and wide, as evidenced by the friends and industry stars that count her as inspiration in the film such as Daniel Boulud, Danny Meyer, Jeremiah Tower, Drew Nieporent, Leah Chase and many more. In addition to the feature film, Brennan is the subject and co-author of a new memoir, co-written with Ti Martin, Brennan’s daughter and co-proprietor of the Commander’s Family of Restaurants, Miss Ella of Commander’s Palace. The book was released in September 2016 and was a finalist in the Best Business: General category by “Best Book” Awards.
