Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan-Paige Sudduth.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am an autistic 23-year-old screenwriter, actor, and content creator. I began filmmaking at 14 years old and have created over 20 film projects throughout my career. I now focus primarily on screenwriting but continue to do various freelance film production work. My most recent short film, ACES, has surpassed 1 million views on YouTube and has won over 30 awards in the film festival circuit so far. I graduated from Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film, Television, and Games program in August 2020, sold my first screenplay in April 2021, and gained representation for screenwriting and other creative endeavors in February 2022.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
HA, no, not at all. I’m thankful to have had the incredible support of my family throughout the process, which has certainly made things easier. Thanks to their support, I had belief in myself that I could achieve the filmmaking dreams that I had, but the general public was a little more skeptical (totally understandable). This got a little easier once I had made a few films and could show my work as proof that my films would be completed, actors would get their footage in a timely manner, and people knew a day on a set of mine would be a productive, fun day. However, when I started filmmaking, I was also battling Lyme disease, which constantly had my brain in a fog; I was exhausted most of the time, and overall, I just wasn’t working at 100%.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
After filmmaking for nearly all of my high school years, I went to school to focus solely on screenwriting, and that’s what I still primarily focus on now. The stories I tell are often feature young adult characters in a variety of genres: fantasy, science fiction, romantic comedy, contemporary, etc. I also strive to bring authentic representation to the autistic and aromantic/asexual communities, which I feel are severely underrepresented in current media.
While I often struggle with comparing my current self to all that I was doing as a high schooler, feeling like I’m not doing enough, I am proud of the stories I continue to tell, and hope I’ll be able to get them further out into the world someday!
What was your favorite childhood memory?
The one that sticks out most to me is when my family and I would create a massive wind tunnel tent with a big fan and a king-size bed sheet. We’d secure the sides of the sheet with books, boxes, and whatever else was heavy enough to hold it down, then turn on the fan and watch as we created our own little cave. We’d eat pizza, watch movies, and sometimes even literally spend the night in there. When I think of my family, specifically my dad, that’s the first memory that comes to mind.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jordanpaigesudduth.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordan.paige.s/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordanpaigesudduth/?ref=page_internal
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanpaigesudduth-939541116/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIuq68W7PFt7hpb2fzL4mQ
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jordan.paige.s?lang=en
Image Credits
Jill Marber
Matthew McKenzie
Sabrina
Occeus
Suzy Hanzlik
Kailey Moster
