Rob Weiss

This Long Island native scored a qualified hit at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival with his directorial debut "Amongst Friends" (1993). The film got nearly as much publicity for its financing: Weiss' casino operator father and some of his gambling pals invested much of the production costs. Filmed for approximately $1.1 million, "Amongst Friends" follows the lives of three young upper-middle class Jewish Long Islanders who turn to crime in pursuit of kicks and the "good life." It also marked the screen debut of Mira Sorvino, who also served as an associate producer. Weiss grew up in Long Island, studying fashion and film at various New York colleges. While writing his debut work, Weiss eked out a living as a photographer and a club promoter. The critical plaudits for "Amongst Friends" (including comparisons to Scorsese and Singleton) earned Weiss a three-picture deal with Universal. As of 1997, however, he only had a few projects in development and had not completed a second feature. The darkly handsome director played a small role in his own film and appeared as himself in Barry Levinson's 1994 show-biz film "Jimmy Hollywood."