BIO
DBRA KIRSCHNER creates painfully honest stories about goofy, flawed women like herself. She is best known for writing and directing the indie feature THE TOLLBOOTH, which starred Marla Sokoloff, Idina Menzel, Tovah Feldshuh and Rob McElhenney and obtained theatrical, DVD and VOD distribution. Her latest feature script, MALLWALKERS, won the NYWIFT/Ravenal Grant for a second-time feature director, and invitations to Cine Qua Non Lab and Stowe Story Lab, and a spot on the "Wscripted List of Excellent Scripts" at Cannes. Her pilot SKETCH was developed at the 2021 Athena Film Festival Television Writers Lab and has won the Bellem Productions scholarship to attend CineStory Television Writers Retreat, 2024. She originally developed her television voice in the NYWIFT Television Writers Lab, led by Abby Finer, who previously ran the Warner Bros. Television Writers Workshop. Previous writing and directing work includes the pilot FROG KISSERS, which premiered at ITV Fest, the web series THE HAPPY MOMMY HUSTLE, and the short, CHANGING CLOTHES. Currently, Debra teaches Screenwriting at Brooklyn College and Digital Video Production at Fordham University. Humor is her favorite defense mechanism.