About
Leslie Zemeckis is a best-selling author, actress, and award-winning documentarian. Critically acclaimed films include Behind the Burly Q, the true story of old-time burlesque in America, Bound by Flesh about conjoined twin Daisy and Violet Hilton, and Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer chronicling the extraordinary world of the first female tiger trainer, Mabel Stark. Her current film Grandes Horizontales about the lives and loves of the 19th Century courtesans in Paris has won numerous Best Documentary awards at festivals throughout the world.
She has acted in film and television opposite Steve Carell Tom Hanks, Richard Lawson, Colin Firth and Mickey Rourke.
Zemeckis is the author of three best-sellers, Behind the Burly Q, the definitive oral history of burlesque, Goddess of Love Incarnate; the Life of Stripteuse Lili St. Cyr and Feuding Fan Dancers, about Sally Rand, Faith Bacon and the golden age of the showgirl. She writes a monthly book column in the Montecito Journal and is the founder of the program “Stories Matter,” sponsored by SBIFF, with professional female authors mentoring the next generation of female storytellers.
Featured Work
Behind the Burly Q
The definitive history and stories of burlesque during its Golden Age in America. From the musicians, strippers, producers and the audience; who were these performers and what happened when burlesque died? From Abbott and Costello, to Alan Alda, Tempest Storm and Blaze Starr. After the documentary of the same name, the book offers even more eye-opening stories.
