Lesli Klainberg

LESLI KLAINBERG is a producer and director of a wide variety of documentaries and specials for network and cable television and the owner of Orchard Films.

Most recently, she produced The Independent Film Channel mini-series, INDIE SEX, premiering in August of 2007. The three episodes INDIE SEX: TEENS, INDIE SEX: EXTREMES and INDIE SEX: CENORED (which she also directed) explore different aspects of sexuality in cinema.

In 2006, FABULOUS! THE STORY OF QUEER CINEMA, which she produced and directed with Lisa Ades, premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and screened at film festivals throughout the US before its broadcast on IFC in July. This feature length documentary explores the history of American independent gay and lesbian cinema. Previously, Ms. Klainberg directed (with Gini Reticker) and produced (with Ades) IN THE COMPANY OF WOMEN, a documentary about women in independent film, which premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film festival and was broadcast on IFC in March 2004.

She is also director/producer with Ms. Ades of INDIE SEX: TABOOS, which was broadcast on IFC in 2001, and BEAUTY IN A JAR, the story of the American beauty and cosmetics industry, broadcast on A&E in March 2003. In 2002 she directed and produced the documentary, DIRECTED BY ALAN SMITHEE for AMC and with Ms. Ades, produced MISS AMERICA, a history of the Miss America Pageant, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival prior to its broadcast on PBS.

Ms. Klainberg produced the independent film, PAUL MONETTE: THE BRINK OF SUMMER'S END, which won the audience award for documentary at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997 and was broadcast on Cinemax. She served as Series Producer of Disney Television's six-part documentary series, The 20th Century, directed by Robert Zemeckis, Barry Levinson, and Garry Marshall, among others, and broadcast on Showtime in the fall of 1999. Ms. Klainberg is also the producer of THE REAL ELLEN STORY, a film about the making of the "coming out" episode of the sitcom ELLEN, which was broadcast on Bravo and Channel Four (UK). In 1994, she received a CableAce Award for her work as Supervising Producer of the HBO documentary MO' FUNNY: BLACK COMEDY IN AMERICA.

Early in her career, she spent several years at the PBS station, WNET/Thirteen working on numerous documentary and public affairs programs. She is also a past board member of OutFest and GLAAD.