ABOUT SAILA
Saila is a filmmaker, writer and entrepreneur. As a child she moved constantly - she grew up in three different countries, America, India and Canada. The lack of stability and feeling of being an outsider were always present, consequently her work is often about identity, belonging and the pursuit of meaning.
She had a career as an electrical engineer and builder while dreaming of filmmaking and writing. After obtaining her Ph.D. in electrical engineering, she worked as an engineer, manager, and marketeer at IBM and at a start-up. She also founded and managed a profitable residential construction company, Mukti Properties, which built speculation homes.
Saila studied film at San Jose State University and was the valedictorian of the class of 2008. In 2008 she founded Wavefront Pictures, with a mission to tell compelling and moving stories which offer unique perspectives.
Saila made several short films before embarking on her first feature, which she wrote, directed and co-produced. The Valley is the story of an Indian American entrepreneur seeking answers after the suicide of his daughter. It explores themes of the meaning of success, workaholism and depression amongst youth. The Valley premiered at Cinequest in 2018 as a spotlight feature to an audience of 850 people, was selected by over twenty film festivals, won best feature film in four festivals, and was notably invited to the Mumbai Film Festival. Her other feature screenplays include Gods and Demons, Love in the Time of Corona, Release, Gray and Jesus Land. Jesus Land is an adaptation of Julia Scheers’ NYT and London Times best-selling memoir of the same name. Saila is currently in development with this project. Saila also executive produced 20 Weeks, which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival. She is a member of The Writer’s Grotto, Film Fatales, and SFFilm.