Debra Granik

Debra Granik (born February 6, 1963) is an esteemed American filmmaker, widely known for her works like 2004's 'Down to the Bone', 2010's 'Winter's Bone', and 2018's 'Leave No Trace'. Granik was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to parents William R. Granik, an attorney, and Brenda Granik Zusman. She is also the granddaughter of broadcast pioneer Ted Granik. Earning an MFA in 2001 from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, she started her career in 1997 by directing her first short film, 'Snake Feed', which later became her first feature-length film, 'Down to the Bone'. Her 2010 film 'Winter's Bone' starred the unknown Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes, winning the Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Film at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. She has stated her influences as directors like Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Shane Meadows, the Dardenne brothers, Laurent Cantet, and Abbas Kiarostami. Granik is also recognized for her adeptness in discovering talented actors such as Jennifer Lawrence, Vera Farmiga, and Thomasin McKenzie. She lives in New York City with her spouse Jonathan Scheuer and their child.