New Media Production Company, Snarky Elephant Productions, Launches Incubator with Top Entertainment Executives
Launched With Board Members from Netflix, Lionsgate, MRC, Pushkin, and More, Six (6) Emerging, Acclaimed Creators from Underrepresented Communities Were Selected For Inaugural Cohort
Date: February 21st, 2023
New York, NY – Snarky Elephant Productions (SEP), a new production company founded by Vishaal Reddy and Neal Ludevig, has launched an Incubator Program, the first of its kind.
The Company has put together an Advisory Board of top media executives and creatives to support its program, selecting its cohort members through a competitive application cycle. Comprised of leaders, executives, and creators in the entertainment world, the board includes such members as Prashanth Venkataramanujam (co-creator of Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj), Reed Clement (Netflix, Head of Creative Labs), Shaurya Nanavati (Lionsgate, VP of Content Strategy and Analysis), Meghna Rao (Pushkin.fm, Director, Film & TV Development), Victoria Bachan (Whalar Talent, Managing Director), and Neil Thomas (MRC Studios, VP of TV Development), among others.
Focused on supporting and producing work from members of underrepresented communities, Snarky Elephant has selected an inaugural cohort of six (6) emerging creators from underrepresented backgrounds that will receive one year of creative, financial, and project development support to advance projects that capture overlooked perspectives, communities and identities until the end of 2023.
The Snarky Elephant Incubator is unique among film support programs, offering a slew of rare opportunities and benefits in an industry where barriers are high. The program offers 1st look and collaboration agreements for creator projects; free fundraising and pitching support; access to its board of top executives and creatives; monetary support for application; fiscal sponsorship; guidance across all aspects of film development; and creative collaboration with experienced and like-minded showrunners, producers, filmmakers, and other cohort members. With its inaugural cohort and its founder, SEP now has more than 10 projects in various stages of development that include shorts, documentaries, episodics, feature films, and more.
Snarky Elephant’s mission is to uplift underrepresented, emerging creators to defy societal barriers and shift established standards. In line with SEP’s mission, the cohort members embody diverse identities, communities, and perspectives, with 100% identifying as a person of color; 60% identifying as a woman and/or gender queer; and 90% identifying as a first or second generation immigrant.
“The renaissance going on in entertainment to cultivate a diversity of talent is best seen in Snarky Elephant's fantastic incubator program. This program is an example to the rest of the industry." says Advisory Board Member Prashanth Venkataramanujam.
The members of the 2023 Cohort are:
Meetu Chilana, Award winning film producer (Land of Gold, Tribeca Film Festival), culture consultant for Netflix, actress, and singer/songwriter
Ryan Travis Chu, Award-winning animator (Deep Fears, Los Angeles Film Festival) and storyboard artist
Shravya Kag, Award-winning documentarian and photographer (Sony World Photography Awards)
Shruti Parekh, Award-winning director, producer, and writer (Blood Moon, South Asian Film Festival of America)
Christian Saul Moldes, Award-winning writer, editor, and producer (Climbing Perch, Los Angeles Film Festival)
Piyali Syam, Award-nominated viral filmmaker, writer, and actress (Just Potential, Screencraft Comedy Contest)
The company was founded by Vishaal Reddy, an award-winning showrunner, producer, actor, and writer, and Neal Ludevig, an acclaimed entrepreneur, event and film producer, who launched the (inter)nationally recognized Harlem Arts Festival, the national CPG company Enlightened, and most recently the 50th Year Anniversary of Black Woodstock, connected with the award-winning documentary “Summer of Soul”.
Snarky Elephant’s mission is to produce emotionally rich visual content that explores the under-represented human experience.
“I was inspired to create Snarky Elephant from my own experiences as a queer, South Asian writer and actor encountering stereotyping and a general lack of understanding from executives and developers. Snarky Elephant is an answer for an industry experiencing increasing demands for content that truly speaks to and from underrepresented perspectives.” says CEO Vishaal Reddy.
“By combining Vishaal’s background as a writer, actor, and producer with my background in the startup world and community building, we’ve been able to build SEP with a different model to distinguish it from the rest of the industry. We’ve brought together a truly diverse Advisory Board of industry leaders to oversee our mission and a team that embodies the very identities we seek to uplift to ensure our creator-centric approach”, says CCO Neal Ludevig.
SEP’s team of creatives, filmmakers, and developers is 66% people of color and 50% women with representation across LGBTQ+ and diverse cultural backgrounds including South Asian, African-American, and Jewish.
The Snarky Elephant Advisory Board is 85% people of color, and additionally includes:
Patrick Goodwin, Emmy-Nominated Casting Director, CSA
Naman Gupta, Award-Winning Director & Murphy Fellow
Gene Kim, Award-Winning Director & Animator formerly at Pixar
Raeshem Nijhon, Award-Winning Producer & CEO of Culture House
Rajal Pitroda, Award-Winning Producer & Sundance Fellow
Keith Quinn, Producer (Netflix, Fox, Sony) & Media Executive (Paramount, Zodiak)
Monika Selmont, VP of Legal at OYÓ & Award-Winning Actor & Producer
SEP has already distinguished itself with its hit miniseries “INSOMNIA” (now on Revry TV), created by Vishaal Reddy, a darkly comedic series about a bisexual, South Asian man who becomes an escort. INSOMNIA earned universally positive reviews with press like Elle India, Them.us, Brown Girl Magazine, among other national press, entrance into Tribeca Film Festival’s Creators NOW Program, and was the first show to be written, produced by, and starring an Indian American.
You can view more information about Snarky Elephant, its incubator, prior work from its creators, and more on its website, at www.snarkyelephant.com
About Snarky Elephant Productions We produce emotionally rich visual content that explores the under-represented human experience. Through scripted and unscripted content, we champion emerging creators whose identities inspire them to defy societal barriers to educate and shift established standards. Our intention is to change company cultures, the entertainment industry, and larger global sensitivities with darkly amusing, inventive stories that chronicle the complexities of human spirit.