top of page

Snarky

Elephant

SEP_Full Lockup_1000px_Transparent Light_edited.png

SNARKY ELEPHANT PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP TRANSITION AND APPOINTS TOBY SHORTER AS CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER

  • Snarky Elephant
  • 5 hours ago
  • 4 min read
sep_lockup_1000x1000_horizontal

As LGBTQ+ Pride Month marks a milestone year, the independent studio behind NewFest Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award winner Zari and the forthcoming feature Lillian, Next Door strengthens its legal and governance infrastructure — and begins its search for a new CEO


June 18, 2026 - New York, NY - Snarky Elephant Productions (SEP), the independent production company whose work has centered LGBTQ+ stories and underrepresented artists since its founding in 2018, today announced the appointment of Toby Shorter as Chief Legal Officer, a forthcoming expansion of its board of directors, and the transition of founder Vishaal Reddy from his role as Chief Executive Officer. The company has begun a formal CEO search.

LGBTQ+ Track Record

The announcement comes during LGBTQ+ Pride Month, a fitting moment for a company whose productions have consistently centered queer stories. This includes SEP's short film Zari, which won the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase LGBTQ+ Award at this year's American Pavilion at Cannes presented by IndieWire and the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at NewFest — the largest LGBTQ+ film festival in the U.S. — before broadcasting on AMC+, and has since screened internationally. The company is currently producing Lillian, Next Door, a feature film starring four-time Academy Award nominee Jane Alexander opposite Marco Pigossi and Kanoa Goo, directed by SXSW Audience Award-winner Janice Engel. The film, which centers on an unlikely friendship between a retired CIA operative and her gay neighbors, was developed and led by a predominantly LGBTQ+ creative team and is being sold by WME Independent. Production wrapped in Nova Scotia earlier this year.

Founder Transition

Vishaal Reddy co-founded SEP in 2018 alongside entrepreneur Neal Ludevig. Under his leadership, the company produced work that has garnered attention from Tribeca, Sundance, Dances With Films, Outfest, and NewFest, among others, and expanded its slate to include scripted and unscripted series, short films, live events, and an artist incubator program. Reddy will remain involved as Founder and Creator through the leadership transition.


"Serving as CEO of Snarky Elephant has been one of the great privileges of my professional life," said Reddy. "What started as a small creative project has grown into a company with a real track record and a community of artists committed to meaningful work. I look forward to supporting the organization as it enters this next chapter."

Toby Shorter Joins as Chief Legal Officer

Shorter brings two decades of experience across television, film, music, digital media, and new media. He most recently served as in-house counsel at William Morris Endeavor, where he oversaw business and legal affairs for Rachel Maddow’s documentary production company, Surprise Inside, and Chris Corcoran’s podcast production company, Audity. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.


Shorter also serves as a Board Member for Hawks FC, Inc., a nonprofit soccer club supporting young female athletes from underrepresented communities, and as an Advisory Board Member for South Stack Studios, LLC, a nonprofit media-tech fund focused on South Asian stories.


Board Expansion

SEP will add the following members to its board of directors. Their full bios are available on SEP’s website:

Newest additions to the board include:

  • Camille Blake Fall is a social impact attorney and arts leader serving as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parkway Theatre, home to the Maryland Film Festival. She has worked with numerous mid-Atlantic film festivals including the Maryland Film Festival, DC Independent Film Festival, and SILVERDOCS, and also serves on the selection committee of the Maryland Filmmakers Fellowship, which annually awards funding to independent filmmakers in Sundance Institute Labs Programs. Additionally, Camille serves on the  board of the Film Festival Alliance. 

  • Paolo Ciccarelli is a Strategic Advisor in film, television, and digital content, working at the intersection of storytelling, talent, and international strategy. His expertise spans scouting, evaluating, and developing scripted content, and advising talent with international ambition. He joined MIA | International Audiovisual Market in Rome in 2017 and was appointed Head of Drama in 2023. He has also served as a consultant to Paramount in Italy and as a curator, mentor, and selection committee member for leading international training programmes and festivals - consistently championing bold, underrepresented voices across global markets.

  • Lisa Tawil is Senior Vice President of Brand, Communications, and Audience Growth at ITVS, where she leads marketing and distribution for the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens. An Emmy-nominated marketing executive with 20+ years of experience at National Geographic Channel and PBS, she also serves on the board of INPUT, an international nonprofit dedicated to global media collaboration, and is a member of the Television Academy and Women in Film.


About Snarky Elephant Productions

Founded in 2018 by Vishaal Reddy and Neal Ludevig, Snarky Elephant Productions produces scripted and unscripted content that has been recognized at Tribeca, Sundance, Dances With Films, Outfest, and NewFest. Some of its most recent work includes Zari (NewFest Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award; AMC+), the digital comedy series Bad Brown Kids, and the forthcoming feature Lillian, Next Door (WME Independent).


For more information, visit: https://www.snarkyelephant.com


Press Inquiries/Media Materials:

bottom of page