She describes herself as 'a techhead, a tree-hugger and a humanist', but right now it's her work behind the lens that's getting Shalini Kantayya noticed.

The 30-year-old freelance director from Hartford, Connecticut is one of the contestants on reality show pioneer Mark Burnett's talent hunt, On The Lot, executive produced by none other than Steven Spielberg.

The show kicked of on May 22, and will culminate in a $1 million direction deal with DreamWorks for the winner.

Shalini has gotten much acclaim for her work from Rush Hour director Brett Ratner, one of the show's judges. 

You can see her work -- and read about her -- on her Contestant page at the On The Lot site, and can even vote for her videos there, during the 2-hour window open for voting after the videos debut. On The Lot is telecast in India on Star World on Tuesdays at 10 pm and Wednesdays at 8 pm.

Shalini has already generated much interest in the blogging community, and support for her is growing. A director to look out for? Lets wait and watch.

Photo courtesy: The On The Lot web site