The Way We Get By

Director and editor Aron Gaudet made his feature directorial debut with the award-winning 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 (SXSW) and won the Special Jury Award. THE WAY WE GET BY has won 16 festival awards to date, including the Audience Award at the Full Frame Film Festival, the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Award at the Cleveland International Film Festival, and Best Documentary at the Atlanta, Little Rock, Phoenix, Naples and Newport International Film Festival.

THE WAY WE GET BY was released theatrically in July 2009, playing in over 60 cities across the U.S. It aired on the critically acclaimed, independent television series P.O.V. on PBS as a primetime special this past Veterans Day. Recently, AARP's "Movies For Grownups" Awards honored THE WAY WE GET BY as "Best Documentary" of 2009.

Aron was chosen as a 2007-08 WGBH Filmmaker in Residence. In August 2006, Aron attended the Sundance Producers Conference at the Sundance Institute with film producer Gita Pullapilly (The Way We Get By). Aron was the director for India: A New Life (a WGBH-Frontline World production). In 2008, Aron won three Telly Awards for this film.

Aron has won numerous awards in television including a total of 8 Telly Awards, 2 Emmy nominations, 2 Vermont Association of Broadcasters awards, and a Michigan Association of Broadcasters award. He has also received a number of grants for his projects including from ITVS, CPB, POV, MacArthur Foundation, Fulbright, and Fledgling Fund. Aron is a member of IDA and IFP. He is a graduate of New England School of Communication. Aron grew up in Maine and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Gita Pullapilly is the producer on the award-winning 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 (SXSW) in March 2009 and won the Special Jury Award. THE WAY WE GET BY has won 16 festival awards to date, including the Audience Award at the Full Frame Film Festival, the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Award at the Cleveland International Film Festival, and Best Documentary at the Atlanta, Little Rock, Phoenix, Naples and Newport International Film Festival.

THE WAY WE GET BY was released theatrically in July 2009, playing in over 60 cities across the U.S. It aired on the critically acclaimed, independent television series P.O.V. on PBS as a primetime special this past Veterans Day. Recently, AARP's "Movies For Grownups" Awards honored THE WAY WE GET BY as "Best Documentary" of 2009.

Gita Pullapilly is an award-winning television journalist and film producer. She has produced films in the U.S., Jordan and India. Her stories have aired on CBS, CNN, and ABC. Gita has received a number of grants for her projects including from ITVS, CPB, POV, MacArthur Foundation, Fulbright, and Fledgling Fund. In 2006, Gita was selected as a participant in the Sundance Producers Conference at the Sundance Institute for The Way We Get By. In 2007, Gita was selected as a WGBH Filmmaker in Residence. In 2008, Gita received a Kaiser Mini-Fellowship for Global Health Reporting and was inducted into the Royal Society of the Arts in recognition of her work in film and television.

Gita was the producer and interviewer for India: A New Life (a WGBH-Frontline World production). In 2008, India: A New Life was the recipient of three Telly awards. Gita was also the producer for a Fulbright funded film, Diary of a Refugee (a story on the 1948 Palestinian refugees living in UNRWA camps in Jordan). She was the first filmmaker chosen as a Fulbright Senior Scholar to Jordan.

Gita has received a number of awards including: the University of Notre Dame Asian American Alumni Association Exemplar Award for her work within her community; 2 Associated Press Awards, a Michigan Association of Broadcasters Award, three Telly awards, and a Northwestern University Scholarship for Outstanding Storytelling. Gita worked as a television reporter before making the switch to documentary filmmaking. She is a member of IFP in Chicago and New York, IDA, Women in Film and Video, and the Color of Film Collaborative. Gita was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana. She 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. Gita currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Mary built the video, television, radio, and digital film department at The New England Institute of Art. She has developed the bachelor's degree program in Digital Filmmaking & Video Production, and co-developed degrees in Sound & Motion Picture Technical Arts and Business & Entertainment Management. She has forged numerous partnerships for the College in the New England region, which includes work with non-profit organizations and internship opportunities for students at places such as ESPN, CNN and now with the emerging Plymouth Rock Studios where the college has been named The College on the Lot. 

Mary teaches at Northeastern University in the School of Journalism and continues to freelance for CNN Boston, and has worked for CNN Atlanta, CNN London, and numerous other television stations in four other major markets spanning more than 25 years in journalism. She is the recipient of two EMMY awards for excellence in spot news producing and feature producing and has been nominated numerous times during her career in news.

Mary continues to produce documentaries and established a non-profit organization to support the work of independent cinematic artists, The South End Cinema Foundation for the Arts. She serves on the board of the Provincetown International Film Festival. She is a member of the Radio and Television News Directors Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Association for Education in Journalism and Communication, and the Arab-U.S. Association for Communication Educators. She has worked with the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation, the American Repertory Theatre, and the Center for International Media Education at Georgia State University. She is the Director of Outreach for Dungby Productions and its latest documentary film, the award-winning and critically acclaimed The Way We Get By.  Her latest venture is as co-founder of a global online news network produced by college students, College Newsnet International (CNI). She and her academic partner will launch it in the summer of 2010 in South Africa at the World Journalism Education Congress and will speak about it on a panel at AEJMC in Denver. CNI will represent the work of student journalists/contributors from journalism programs all over the world.

Warren Cook is CEO of Saddleback Resort in Rangeley, Maine-- a four season resort and real estate development. He is also co-founder of Maine Network Partners and Common Good Ventures, active in funding and non-profit work. Warren has a small farm, and is married with two children and two grandchildren. He served in the Marines during Vietnam after graduating from Dartmouth College.

Warren's son is an active-duty Marine currently serving in Iraq, who has traveled through Bangor, Maine and been greeted by the Maine Troop Greeters.

Photo by: Irvin Serrano

Award-winning photojournalist Dan Ferrigan has worked on four films including The Way We Get By, Getting Rid of Libby, and BLUR. In 2007, Dan traveled to India where he worked on India: A New Life, commissioned by PBS-Frontline World. Dan currently is a photojournalist for New England Cable News (NECN). In 2006, he worked on The Long Journey Home, a 30-minute documentary on the "Face of America 2006" bike ride for able-bodied and disabled veterans that aired on New England Cable News (NECN) and had showings across New England.

Dan worked for ABC affiliates around the country as a photojournalist before settling down in Boston. He has won an AP award, an American Heart Association award and was the photographer on an Edward R Murrow Award winning project.

Dan grew up in Winslow, Maine and currently resides in Boston.

Zack Martin has been a professional musician for the past 16 years. He studied percussion and guitar in jazz, rock and experimental music. Zack is best known for being the driving force behind the band Carrigan, which has a large following around New England especially in the Boston area. Zack has worked with various artists to create an eclectic music portfolio. Martin is known for his very cinematic music style he incorporates into Carrigan's music. He has performed and toured with a number of bands including Muncy Indiana's BRAZIL, Drowningman and The Cancer Conspiracy and performed during Austin's SXSW music festival.
 
In 2003, Carrigan released its first studio recording as a self-titled E.P. In 2006, the second recording, called "Young Men Never Die", was released  on Boston's Radar Recordings. Zack recently signed with Hello My Name Is Records. Carrigan's music can be found on iTunes.

Jessica Barnthouse joined the post-production team as an intern in June 2008. She quickly established herself as a valuable member of the team and moved into the role of Associate Producer on The Way We Get By later in the year. A graduate of Alfred University, Jessica holds a BA in English and Communications.

Prior to this project, she spent a semester in Australia where she filmed a short documentary about a 36-year-old protest site fighting for Aboriginal sovereignty. Jessica was born and raised in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. She currently lives and works in Boston, MA.