Ardain Isma
CSMS Magazine
Last week, I had the honor to sit down and have a conversation with Gabriela Ledesma and Callie Schuttera. Both are successful screenwriters and filmmakers. They are also the founders of Poison Pictures, an independent film production company based in Los Angeles. The duo met in 2015 and have since written and produced numerous projects, including comedy specials, feature films, live events, commercials, and documentaries. Their peers dub them the tireless twosome at the driver seat of Poison Pictures which has become a powerhouse in the independent film industry.
Both cherish the same mantra: passion is the mother of all success. Indeed, their passion cannot be overlooked or underestimated in their meticulous work. Not surprisingly, their work has been featured and critically acclaimed by Film Pulse, Elle Magazine, Indy Red, Last Movie OutPost, The SwitchBlade Sisters, The Other 50%, CherryPicks, Film Threat, Featuring Film, Culture Vulture, Film Inquiry, Voyage L.A. Movie Maestro, Video Librarian, Jayne Theory and more.
Although we spoke about many aspects of their ascending career, our conversation was mainly about their latest feature film The Last Conception, a romantic comedy which underlines the very touchy issue of sexual orientation. It is a story about a Sikand family determined to continue their ancient heritage. However, their hope of reaching that goal is their gay daughter Sarvana around whom the plot develops. Sarvana is played by Nazanin Mandi, well-known actress, model, and wife of Grammy Award R&B singer “Miguel.” The Last Conception is based on Gabriel Constans’ novel, with whom I had a conversation last week.
Gabriela’s first feature film Blue, in which Callie plays the leading role, is based on her own personal experiences. She was born in Brazil and immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was a teenager. She is gay, and therefore has gone through the same struggle other young people like her usually go through—the struggle for equality and acceptance. However, not every parent reacts the same way when a child reveals his homosexuality.
According to Callie, who is also a member of the LGBT community, her mother did not have a problem of her sexual orientation. She was rather worried about possible hindrances she might have encountered in society at large due to discrimination against individuals like her. But their success has once again proven that sexual preference or orientation can in any way be the determining factor in a person’s accomplishments or his failure in life. You should be judged by the content of your character, not by who you love. Because of their wherewithal, their impeccable work, they have been able to “collaborate with the best up-and-coming filmmakers in LA and around the world to create high-quality products.”
Their films have been awarded at Austin Revolution Film Festival, Portland Film Festival, Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema, Utah Film Festival, Romford Film Festival, Auckland Film Festival, Regina International Film Festival and Awards, Golden Gate International Film Festival, Los Angeles Film and Script Festival, Women’s Independent Film Festival, Las Vegas Film Festival, Hollywood International Cinefest, Los Angeles Cinefest of Hollywood, New York Film and TV Festival, and many more. They met in college and have since been married. They live in Los Angeles with their daughter Sofia. Watch the video below.
Note: Their work can be found on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Fandango Now, Vudu, GooglePlay, Tubi, ImdbTV, Cable Television and VOD, Vimeo, Microsoft, Xbox and more.
To learn more about Poison Pictures, click here.
Also, you can also check out their Instagram page.
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