Burstein has produced, directed, and co-directed several documentaries including the Academy Award nominated and Sundance Special Jury Prize winning film On the Ropes.

[citation needed] In 1997 she collaborated on her first film with Brett Morgen, producing and directing On the Ropes, a low-budget documentary that follows the fates of three young boxers and their trainer.

[citation needed] It was also nominated for Best Documentary by the Chicago, Online, Phoenix and Broadcast Film Critics.

In 2007 Burstein was executive producer and writer on the VH1 Rock Doc NY77: The Coolest Year In Hell which showcases the rise of hip hop, punk, disco, and graffiti in New York City in 1977.

She lives in New York and co-owned a Manhattan bar, The Half-King, with Scott Anderson, and Sebastian Junger.