Christmas, Every Day
2024; TRT 14 min; Digital Video
Directed, Shot, and Edited by Faye Tsakas
Produced by: Faye Tsakas, Enrique Pedraza Botero, Rowan Ings, Lauren Howell
Watch:
2024; TRT 14 min; Digital Video
Directed, Shot, and Edited by Faye Tsakas
Produced by: Faye Tsakas, Enrique Pedraza Botero, Rowan Ings, Lauren Howell
Watch:
Coming Soon to NYTimes Op Docs
Christmas, Every Day 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.
SELECTIONS & AWARDS:
World Premiere: SXSW Film Festival, 2024
International Premiere: Hot Docs, 2024
Hot Docs Award -- Special Jury Prize, Honorable Mention
Athens International Film & Video, 2024
IndieLisboa Film Festival, 2024
Georgetown University Film Festival, 2024
Atlas Cinema Screening Series in London, 2024
DC/Dox Film Festival, 2024
Palm Springs ShortFest, 2024
Champs Elysées Film Festival, 2024
Syncro Film Fest, 2024
Snake Alley Film Fest, 2024
Hot Docs Jury Statement: “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.”