Gita Pullapilly

Gita Pullapilly is an American writer, producer, and director of documentary films and narrative films.

Gita Pullapilly was born in South Bend, Indiana. She studied finance at University of Notre Dame, receiving her B.B.A. and received her M.A. in journalism at the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 2005. She was chosen as the first filmmaker to become a Fulbright Senior Scholar to Jordan.

In 2007, Pullapilly was selected as a WGBH Filmmaker-in-Residence.

Pullapilly met and worked with Aron Gaudet on their documentary, The Way We Get By, for five years prior to marrying him in 2009. Their wedding was profiled in the New York Times.

The Way We Get By was awarded "Best Documentary" in the AARP's "Movies For Grownups" Awards of 2009. The film had its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival, (SXSW), won 18 festival awards around the world, played theatrically in over 60 cities across the U.S and aired on the critically acclaimed, independent television series P.O.V. on PBS as a prime time special. That year, she was selected as one of Independent Magazine's "Filmmakers to Watch." It was released in US cinemas in July 2009 and has twice been aired by PBS television, in 2009 and 2010. Gaudet and Pullapilly were invited to the White House in 2009 with the three subjects of the film, Joan Gaudet, Bill Knight, and Jerry Mundy. The Way We Get By was nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy Awards in 2010.

In 2012, Pullapilly was one of the creators and executive producers on the national United States PBS program, Lifecasters, which had its world premiere at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Pullapilly has received a number of grants for her projects including from ITVS, CPB, POV, MacArthur Foundation, and Fledgling Fund.

Pullapilly and Gaudet wrote, produced and directed a film entitled Beneath The Harvest Sky (formerly called Blue Potato), which was also produced with her sister, Kavita Pullapilly. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by Tribeca Films.

Pullapilly was selected as one of Variety's "10 Directors To Watch" with filmmaker, Aron Gaudet, for 2014 and won the “Euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers Live the Dream Grant” at the Gotham Awards.

In 2015, Pullapilly and her writing partner, Aron Gaudet were jointly appointed Guggenheim Fellows to support their current movie project, titled Crook County. In December 2015, Pullapilly and Aron Gaudet were recognized on the 2015 Black List for having one of the best unproduced screenplays of that year for "Crook County".

In January 2016, the University of Notre Dame Alumni Board awarded Pullapilly the Rev. Anthony J. Lauck Award, which is given to a graduate for outstanding accomplishments or achievements as a practicing artist.

In addition to her work in the entertainment field, Pullapilly also founded The Center for International Training, Education and Development, Inc. (CITED), 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.