Saila Kariat is a filmmaker, writer, and entrepreneur whose career began in engineering and construction before she fully embraced her passion for storytelling. After earning a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, she worked at IBM and a start-up as an engineer, manager, and marketeer, and later founded the residential construction company Mukti Properties.

Her love for film and writing led her to San Jose State University, where she graduated as valedictorian of the class of 2008. She directed several short films before writing, directing, and co-producing her first feature, The Valley—a story of an Indian American entrepreneur seeking answers after  his daughter’s suicide. It explores themes of anxiety and depression among young people in the modern era. The Valley screened at more than twenty film festivals, won four Best Feature Film awards, and was invited to the Mumbai Film Festival. It is currently streaming on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Roku. Her additional feature screenplays include Gods and Demons, Love in the Time of Corona, Release, and Gray.

Saila optioned and adapted Jesus Land, the New York Times bestselling memoir by Julia Scheeres, into a screenplay. She produced and directed the feature adaptation, which was shot on location in Mississippi in spring 2025 and is currently on the festival circuit. Jesus Land stars Ella Anderson (Song Sung Blue, The Glass Castle) and Juliette Lewis (Cape Fear, Natural Born Killers, Yellowjackets). 

Having grown up in India, Canada, and the United States, Saila was shaped by a rich mix of cultures, values, and perspectives. Moving frequently gave her a deep understanding of what it means to feel like an outsider—a sensibility that continues to inform her work. Through her films, she remains committed to telling emotionally resonant stories that explore identity, resilience, and the universal search for belonging. She is an active member of The Writers Grotto, Film Fatales, SFFILM, and CAFILM.