Experience
Leslie Atkins (she/her) is a two-time Emmy nominated editor and post-producer. She has worked at the intersection of documentary and journalism since 2011, after starting her career in unscripted post-production in 2003.
Her work has been seen on Al Jazeera, PBS Frontline, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild, New York Times Op-Docs, History Channel, Smithsonian Channel, Animal Planet, and Planet Green.
Honors include a Citation of Excellence from the Overseas Press Club, two New York Festivals Film and Television awards, a National Headliner award, and an Imagen award. She has also had the privilege of working on projects supported by the Pulitzer Center, ITVS, Film Independent, Open Society Institute of Baltimore, and Investigative Studios.
A long-time collaborator at Al Jazeera, she has edited 23 episodes of their award-winning current affairs series Fault Lines. She has also scripted and edited several episodes of their flagship observational documentary series Witness; edited multiple documentary specials; and has served as an editor, post-producer and consulting editor for Viewfinder: Latin America, a showcase of emerging documentary filmmakers from the global south.
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She has a degree in History from Carleton College and is fluent in English and Spanish. She's available to work remotely on your next film, television, or online project.
she's obsessed with making films flow and giving them heart
skills
Leslie is that rare breed of "preditor" who can do it all: shape the story, sharpen the style, infuse the emotion, troubleshoot the tech, and give it all a distinctive, rock-solid rhythm.
She is equally at home whether cutting films that are scene-based and character-driven, or a chorus of interviews given form by archival footage, photos, and documents – with scripted narration, or told exclusively through the protagonists' voices.
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On investigative documentaries, she dives deeply into the subject matter. She's cut films on topics ranging from the immigration detention system, reproductive rights, and police impunity in the US; to repair of the large hadron collider in Switzerland; to medically assisted dying in Canada; to cyber-surveillance, narco-violence, politics and corruption in Mexico.
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She has also made character-driven films about Colombia’s truth and reconciliation process, displacement and activism in Brazilian favelas, and elderly women in Mexico City finding meaning in life's third act through dance. Not to mention many hours of non-fiction entertainment TV and short marketing videos for non-profit, corporate, creative, and educational clients.
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She can also craft high-impact trailers and sizzle reels. Email her (leslie@leslieatkins.tv) and ask for a sample.
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Being a trained musician strongly informs Leslie's work. She strives to strike just the right tone in every scene, with a sensibility that's alternately gritty, understated, poignant, and soulful. Like a great rhythm player, she weaves everything together with precision and impeccable pacing. She also devotes a lot of attention to sound design.
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Beyond assembling and finessing the edit, she is adept at helping to solve the story puzzle. She has a long track record of translating complex policy issues into compelling narrative.
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She has a discerning eye, and isn't afraid to work some animation magic to keep stills and document sequences interesting.​
She loves tech, and is expert in Adobe Premiere and Avid Media Composer. She's also nimble in After Effects and Davinci Resolve and is always learning new skills to stay at the top of her game.
She keeps everything meticulously organized, allowing her to be thorough and efficient.
Awards and grants
Film Independent's 2022 Documentary Lab, selected participant, Breaking the Blue Wall (independent work in progress)
$92,000 grant from Open Society Institute of Baltimore, Breaking the Blue Wall
2023 ITVS Diversity Development Fund, Breaking the Blue Wall
2021 Overseas Press Club Citation of Excellence, Frontline Mexico: The Fight Against COVID-19 (Al Jazeera)
2020 News and Documentary Emmy nomination, System Failure: The Boeing Crashes (Al Jazeera 'Fault Lines')
2020 New York Film and TV Festival, Silver in News Reports/Features and Bronze in Current Affairs Documentary, Frontline Mexico: The Fight Against COVID-19 (Al Jazeera)
2019 News and Documentary Emmy nomination, Between War and the Ban
(Al Jazeera 'Fault Lines')
2014 National Headliner Awards First Place in Health/Science reporting, America's Infant Mortality Crisis (Al Jazeera 'Fault Lines')
2012 Imagen Award, Winner for Best National Informational Program, Lost In Detention (PBS FRONTLINE)