Faye Tsakas’ thesis film premieres at SxSW, wins at HotDocs
Christmas, Every Day, the Stanford thesis film by Faye Tsakas (MFA ‘23) won an Honorable Mention for the Hot Docs Award Special Jury Prize at this year’s Hot Docs International Documentary Festival. Here’s what the HotDocs Jury had to say:
“This film intricately explores both performance and its artifice, demonstrating stylistic rigor and thematic importance while skillfully offering a profound critique of corporate influence on the minds of both children and adults. The special mention goes to Christmas, Every Day.”
Tsakas’ film gives a slice-of-life glimpse of preteen influencers Peyton and Lyla Wesson, ages 11 and 12, as they perform for their online fans under their mother’s watchful guidance. Shot in a series of highly composed, locked-off takes, the film examines everyday cultural practice under late stage capitalism, juxtaposing rural life with the patina of the virtual world. As Peyton and Lyla shift between performance and reality, ideas of self-presentation as empowerment, female confidence, and self-branding come to the fore.
Christmas, Every Day previously premiered at SxSW.
