CULPRITS
FEATURE
Written & Directed By Sasha Santiago
ADRIENNE SMITH JAY RIVERA
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The Feature
CULPRITS is a thrilling and intense ride that tells the story of Jade Maldonado (Adrienne Smith), a vengeful ex-military combat medic who is haunted by her past and driven by a personal vendetta. After courageously defending the lives of hundreds of students but losing her fiancé, a high school history teacher, during a school mass shooting orchestrated by an unlawful militia group, Jade was nearly killed by corrupt cops.
Ten months after recovering from a life-threatening injury sustained from being shot, Jade enlists the help of her battle-hardened contractor friend (Jay Rivera) to assemble a team and track down the shooters who got away, eliminate the militia group that's protecting them, and exact revenge for the highest body count of a school mass shooting.
Sasha Santiago's CULPRITS aims to masterfully navigate the moral ambiguity and high stakes of extrajudicial killings, making it a must-see for action and revenge thriller fans, particularly those looking for powerful female-led storytelling that will keep them on the edge of their seat.
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The Team
Adrienne Smith
Producer / Writer / Actor
Adrienne is a multi-faceted media professional with a diverse portfolio of experience, from hosting a TV show in Japan to developing film and television projects for the U.S. market.
With an MBA in Media & Entertainment from Columbia Business School, Adrienne has proven herself to be a masterful project developer, her screenplay was even selected as a semi-finalist in the 2013 Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays. Continuously honing her craft under the guidance of renowned acting coach, Susan Batson, Adrienne also had a recurring role in the hit show “Orange is the New Black”. While also dedicating herself to creating a new production company to develop and distribute exciting films and original series made by multi-ethnic talents.
Alongside this, Adrienne's accomplishments as a professional in women's tackle football are equally impressive and include: two gold medals with the U.S. Women's Football National Team, four Women's Football Alliance championships, nine WFA All-Star appearances, and a game-changing touchdown that forever impacted her career.
Sasha Santiago
Producer / Writer / Director
Sasha Santiago is a filmmaker known for his raw, authentic storytelling and resourceful approach to production. He specializes in crime thrillers and dark comedies, writing and directing his own films that have earned critical acclaim and numerous festival accolades worldwide for their gritty and realistic portrayals of complex human emotions and controversial social issues.
An accomplished community builder and hands-on problem solver, Santiago's ability to think out-of-the-box and resourcefully is evident in everything he undertakes, from the films he creates, to his role as the founder of Grid Edge Labs, where he leads a team of industry veterans to design tools and immersive learning experiences that push for localized clean energy solutions and address current climate issues.
Through this work he not only fosters awareness, but also actively engages and empowers individuals and communities to take action towards a sustainable energy future through playful and meaningful experiences. Excited about the future of film, Sasha is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of storytelling using cutting-edge technology and decentralization principles of web3.