Debra Eisenstadt

Except for the occasional TV appearance (most notably the 1995 TNT adaptation of Wasserstein's play "The Heidi Chronicles"), Eisenstadt seemed to disappear. In 1999, she drew attention for her assured first short film, "The Guest," which screened on the festival circuit. Two years later, Eisenstadt made an impressive feature debut with "Daydream Believer," a digitally-shot tale of a small-town girl who heads to the big city with aspirations for a career as an actress. The film was screened at a number of festivals, including the 2001 Slamdance Festival, where it won the top prize as Best Dramatic Feature. Originally planning a documentary, she instead turned the idea into fiction, serving as producer, director, writer, cinematographer and editor on the project.