Gita Pullapilly is an award-winning screenwriter, producer and director known for her intimate and authentic storytelling. In 2015, Pullapilly was awarded the prestigious Guggenheim fellowship for her work as a filmmaker. Pullapilly and her writing partner, Aron Gaudet, were selected for the 2015 Black List for their screenplay, Crook County. In 2014, Pullapilly was selected as one of Variety's "10 Directors To Watch" for her narrative feature directorial debut, Beneath The Harvest Sky. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, its US premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, and was acquired by Tribeca Films for distribution in 2014. In 2013, Pullapilly won the "Euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers Live the Dream Grant" at the Gotham Awards. In 2009, Pullapilly co-wrote and produced the national, Emmy-nominated documentary, The Way We Get By a heartfelt story about three senior citizens finding purpose in their life. The film had its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival, , a non-profit organization focused on training aid organizations in developing countries on how to champion and prioritize social issues with the media. Pullapilly has worked in developing countries including Vietnam, Kenya and India focusing on cancer and women's rights initiatives. Pullapilly graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.B.A. in Finance and holds a master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
Daughter-in-law of Joan Gaudet of Bradley, Maine.
Daughter of Cyriac Pullapilly and sister of Anand Pullapilly.
Gita has had the distinction of being blessed by both Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.
Gita writes, produces, and directs with her husband, Aron Gaudet, whom she met while working in television news.
Gitas sister, Kavita Pullapilly, is a producer with Sunny Side Up Films and produced "Beneath The Harvest Sky" with them.
Gita Pullapilly stumbled across the story of the Maine Troop Greeters (The Way We Get By movie) when her then boyfriend (Director Aron Gaudet) was taking her to Bangor, Maine to meet his mom for the first time.
Gita Pullapilly married her film partner, Aron Gaudet, during the release of "The Way We Get By." They had a high profile wedding thrown for them by a group of wedding vendors in Maine. The estimated value of the wedding was $815,000. The wedding was profiled in the "Vows" section of the New York Times and took place on the coast of Maine on a private estate called Frenchs Point.
