by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent Leslie Zemeckis is a filmmaker known for bringing lost voices of burlesque into the world with her film BEHIND THE BURLY Q, but she is also a champion of women who tell stories not just with their bodies in dance. Based in Santa Barbara, she’s a multi-hyphenate actor, writer, mentor, and more who has created "Stories Matter" as a way to tap under-heard voices. In 2020, Leslie was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of ...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent It’s fitting that Leslie Zemeckis is in Italy when we decide to do an interview, because the word burlesque is derived from Italian roots in “burla,” meaning mockery, to poke fun yet shine a spotlight on sexuality. Actor, writer, documentarian Zemeckis has just come out with a line of burlesque emojis inspired by a project she did on Lili St Cyr, among other performers, but the line from her Showtime documentary BEHIND THE BUR...