Sailaja Bandyopadhyay

Sailaja Bandyopadhyay is an award-winning Director/Producer based in Houston, Texas. Her first short film 'Inheritance' has travelled extensively to festivals around the world, winning awards for Best Short Film, Best Female Director, Best First Time Director and also has been selected as a Finalist at festivals including the Cannes World Film Festival, Barcelona International Film Festival, Prague International Monthly Festival, Independent Shorts Awards, Varese International Film Festival, and Milan Gold Awards. Films were not a big part of Sailaja's childhood growing up in India, and it was not until recently that she developed an appreciation for the artistic possibilities of film to advance her feminist and philanthropic passions. Her focus is on developing strong, honest characters and tracing their journey within a realistic yet poetic style. Sailaja excels at using data and numbers to tell detailed, engaging stories. After managing strategic & financial operations at large oil & gas and real estate projects, Sailaja pivoted professionally to pursue her passion for media and filmmaking. She co-founded Times & Images LLC, a production house with Rahul Chakraborty. At Times & Images, she has taken the roles of the director and the line producer to manage all aspects of the production of short films, commercials, and music videos, extensively covering relevant social issues affecting the global landscape. She utilizes her experience from the corporate world to assess key data, ensuring the operational efficiency and efficacy of her team throughout the production process. Sailaja is a strong proponent for increasing diversity in storytelling and she supports various organizations that focus on women producers and directors, planting the seeds for a diverse and inclusive filmmaking landscape. She has been selected to serve as a member of Alliance of Women Directors (AWD), Women in Film (WIF), Women of Color Unite (WOCU), Women Make Movies (WMM), Women's Weekend Film Challenge (WWFC), The Gotham Film & Media Institute and International Society of Female Professionals (ISFP). In addition, Sailaja has more than two decades of experience in community service and has fundraised for many foundations benefiting women and helping micro-budget businesses in India. She is honored to have been selected to serve as one of the Board of Directors for the United Nations Association, USA (UNA-USA) in Houston. Sailaja has studied Leadership & Management at Rice University, Marketing & Financial Management at University of Louisville. She is currently enrolled in the "Film and TV Industry Essentials" program at NYU Tish, as well as in the "Media, Entertainment, and Sports" program at UCLA Anderson School of Management. As an enthusiastic leader and collaborator, Sailaja works closely with clients to deliver pioneering final products. The diversity-infused combination of her creative directing skills, and acumen in financial analysis positions her as a uniquely successful visionary in the film industry. A storyteller at heart, Sailaja enjoys tales of courage, strength, and honest human relationships.