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,
