el·e·gant
adjective / pleasingly graceful and stylish in appearance or manner. pleasingly ingenious and simple.
Life is full of contradictions. It is equally beautiful and appalling, dignified and ridiculous, full of grace and twisted. All at once. We created Elegant Grotesque because we wanted to make art that reflects these complexities. We want to tell compelling stories that generate thought, stir emotions and start conversations. We are interested in all facets of humanity - history, psychology, ecstasy, nihilism, poetry, cultural influence - all the elements that come together to encapsulate life. We strive to challenge stereotypes and give voice to the marginalized through our storytelling. And we aim to do it by making bold stylistic choices, incorporating design and fashion, visual art and music.
gro·tesque
adjective / comically or repulsively ugly or distorted. incongruous or inappropriate to a shocking degree.
projects.
about.
sapna gandhi
founder
Gandhi is an award winning actor, producer, and singer-songwriter who’s played a slew of ethnically ambiguous characters on stage, television and film. As a member of San Francisco’s Jump! Theatre she wrote, produced, and starred (as an actor/singer/dancer) in the moody, mixed-media production “Terminally Female: A Cabaret” before migrating to LA. Television credits include roles on Bosch, Shameless, and The Fosters and films she can be seen in include cult feature Dust Up, festival circuit darlings Thumper (premiered at Tribeca FF), In Absentia (Raindance, Remi FF winner) and most recently sci-fi thriller Wakener (Filmquest, Cinequest, DUST...), horror-comedy The Seance (Palm Springs FF, Screamfest), and socio-politcal drama Inside (Chelsea FF, Burbank International).
Gandhi co-wrote/co-produced/co-starred in Broad Strokes in which she played 28 wildly different characters. Since then, she has produced several films and series, including award winning Scrap (starring Anthony Rapp and Vivian Kerr), and feature film Stranded On Earth (directed by Mike Bruce and featuring Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds). She served as Editor-In-Chief and then Chief Marketing Officer of the LA based film collective and production company We Make Movies for a decade until 2022. Musical endeavors have included being one half of the musical duo VATAVARAN, and co-writing "Dil Gira Na De" with neo-western psychedelic rock band Spindrift. Gandhi was born in England, raised all over The States, holds degrees in English and Women’s Studies, and trained at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
eric michael kochmer
founder
Kochmer is a writer / director / producer with a background in experimental theater and experimental film, mentored under Elizabeth Swados at LaMama Theatre while attending Marymount Manhattan College, and George Landow / Owen Land shortly after. Between 2006 and 2012, he appeared in over 40 feature and short films before moving behind the camera. For the next eight years he dove into directing / producing / editing / writing low budget independent features and short films, resulting in four features, ten shorts, and a series of over 100 segments. Turning into a combination of a creative producer and a line producer, he has also consulted on over 500 films through his work with the filmmaking collective and production company We Make Movies, and regularly collaborates independently for companies such as Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and R&R Media. Kochmer is also the Executive Director of the We Make Movies International FIlm Festival.
