AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER - SUKI & SOKKA, 4min., USA
Directed by Jeoffrey TC Howe
The lighthearted rivalry between Sokka and Suki unfolds as they engage in a friendly competition, showcasing their respective strengths and weaknesses.

https://www.facebook.com/liveactionavatar
https://instagram.com/officialjaynjay

Get to know producer Jonathan Gallo:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

We are big fans of the Avatar the Last Airbender Series, and an actress reached out to our Youtube channel about collaborating on a short about Suki and Sokka. So we wrote the script and got things going. The main goal was to just pay homage to the cartoon.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

From our first conversations to when we released the video was probably 6 months. The actual production was very fast but coordinating schedules with actors from different states during the pre- and post-production phases was the biggest time factor.

3. How would you describe your film in two words?

Tough Love

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Location was our biggest challenge. We originally had 2 production days planned, but due to unexpected weather and 2 locations falling through things didn't go to plan. We got lucky and found a new location but ended up only with 1 day of filming and had to end early because we got rained out. The original script was actually a little bit longer than the final project, so we had to make a lot of adjustments to the choreography and script and trim those things down, but we're happy with how it turned out.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

It was nice to get some feedback and interesting for us to know what stuck out to each of the audience members.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

When I was like 8 years old, my siblings and I started making short dumb films and playing around with stop-motion animation using my toys. Not sure if that was the exact moment I knew, but it just continued from there.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Jackie Chan's First Strike.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

We like the feedback videos, those are great, but incorporating some constructive criticism would be helpful. It would also be nice to have networking opportunities.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

FilmFreeway was a good experience. We liked having everything consolidated into one place.

10. What is your favorite meal?

There is a Hong Kong dish I grew up eating called Seafood Chow Mein.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

We're currently in the post production phase for the second part of another Avatar the Last Airbender project, as well as a Gravity Falls short.