One of two Erics who founded Gorilla, Machiela (muh-SHEE-la) has a laid-back demeanor that belies an uncompromising commitment to beautiful, well-crafted stories and elegant cinematography. An accomplished world-traveler, Eric is at home in nearly any environment — from Sudan to Iran to the Australian Outback — and his skill as a director, writer, and cinematographer has been proven across both commercial projects and feature films.

What we can’t yet tell, even after years of watching him work, is whether his nickname, EZ, comes because he’s so easy-going, or because he makes great work look so easy. Regardless, it’s how you tell one Eric from the other.