the married couple behind the award-winning production company Poison Pictures

I would love to introduce you to the married couple behind the award-winning production company Poison Pictures, Callie Schuttera and Gabriela Ledesma. Callie Schuttera is an actress, writer and producer, known for her breakthrough role in Zach Cregger’s, Weapons. Gabriela Ledesma is a director, writer, and producer, who has directed 3 feature films, as well as multiple short films and music videos. Most recently, the duo wrote and produced their own feature film, The Exit State, which was announced by Collider. 

Set in a United States spiraling toward authoritarian collapse, The Exit State follows a group of Americans fleeing south toward Mexico as violence escalates and sweeping policies turn their own country against them. Hoping to disappear quietly, the group takes refuge in what they believe is a safe house. That sense of security doesn’t last long. The shelter quickly reveals itself to be anything but safe, forcing the group to confront the horrifying reality that escape will come at a devastating and terrifying cost. Rather than leaning into speculative sci-fi tropes, the film positions its horror in recognizably modern fears.

Poison Pictures is a queer-led indie production company created by Callie and Gabriela. Their first feature, Blue, was acquired by Gravitas Ventures and received top indie prizes, including Best Feature and Best Actor at the Austin Revolution Film Festival. Their extensive resume as a production company also includes big-budget, visually striking music videos for major artists like Ava Max and Jason Mraz.

“After Weapons, I felt an undeniable pull toward making more horror—it’s a genre that can hold so many different themes and sub genres within it. The Exit State has quickly became my favorite Poison Pictures project. Gabby and I knew the script was special the moment it was complete and bringing it to life has been incredibly meaningful.”

– Callie Schuttera

“Horror felt like the only honest language for this story. The world of The Exit State is built around through-lines of survival and complicity. From a global, bird’s-eye view, the system isn’t driven by cruelty so much as by indifference — and that indifference is what’s truly terrifying.”

–Gabriela Ledesma

Schuttera and Ledesma have been married for ten years. Together, they’ve built a beautiful family, including Gabriela’s daughter Sophia, whom Callie adopted when she was just one year old. Sophia is now 14.

For more information about Poison Pictures please visit here

Special thanks to Kat Hanegraaf for the images used in this Blog.

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