Dear Shaded Viewers,
In an era where digital filters and AI-driven face-tuning are reshaping our perceptions of beauty, Bianca Poletti’s new short film, FaceTweak, arrives as a sharp and unsettling reflection on the cost of chasing online “perfection.” The film traces the journey of a teenage girl who spirals deeper into the world of AI-enhanced images, pushing the boundaries of self-image to a disturbing extreme. With a tone reminiscent of Black Mirror, FaceTweak challenges viewers to consider a pressing question: when does the quest for an idealized digital self become harmful?
Poletti’s film deftly balances humour and discomfort, exposing the fine line between playful experimentation and an unhealthy obsession with curated identities. This narrative echoes real-world concerns highlighted by recent studies-more than half of girls aged 11 to 21 wish they resembled their filtered social media selves, while a significant portion feels compelled to use beauty filters just to fit in. Organizations like Girlguiding and Internet Matters warn that such digital distortions normalize unrealistic standards, creating social pressures that young people often don’t even recognize. As social media users worldwide are expected to reach six billion by 2027, the influence of these platforms on mental health and self-worth is only set to intensify.
The genesis of FaceTweak is as spontaneous as the phenomenon it critiques. During the production of Poletti’s latest feature, Video Barn, she found herself captivated by the surge of TikTok videos where teenagers alter their faces with AI filters-or even undergo plastic surgery to mirror their digitally enhanced images. This sparked a creative urgency to explore the psychological implications of such extreme identity tweaking. Poletti herself asks, “When does tweaking our image stop? When is enough? When do we feel complete and ‘perfect’?”
Known for her incisive exploration of the human psyche, Poletti brings her signature blend of vivid visuals and character-driven storytelling to this project. Supported by a skilled team-including cinematographer Kayla Hoff and editor Dusten Zimmerman-FaceTweak pushes boundaries not only in content but in style. The film’s dark satire forces us to confront the uneasy intersection of authenticity and artificiality that defines our digital lives today.
In a world increasingly dominated by filtered realities, FaceTweak is a timely and necessary provocation, urging us to question how far we are willing to go-and what we might lose-when chasing a flawless online image.
Directed and Written by: Bianca Poletti
Starring: Bix Kriegler
Produced by: Zauberberg and Primo
Executive Producers: Frank Siegl, Andrea Roman Perse, and Jaime Vidal
Produced by: Beverly Amidon
Cinematography by: Kayla Hoff
Edited by: Dusten Zimmerman at Cabin Edit
Color by: Mikey Rossiter at Rare Medium
VFX by: Parliament
Music Supervision: Abbey Hendrix
Sound designer + Mixer: Natalie Huizenga
Music Post House: Field Day
Wardrobe: Abigail Summer Francis
Production Design: Sara Fern
About Bianca Poletti
Bianca Poletti is an Argentine director born in San Diego, California. Her films exist in dreamlike worlds full of ethereal lighting, colour, and youthful Gen Z imagery. She brings her love of character-driven stories, fashion, and architecture to her work, always implementing pieces of the story into her vivid production design. She casts with an emphasis on personality and chemistry, choosing to work with people who effortlessly add depth to story and dialogue through their unique point of view.
Bianca has directed numerous music videos, commercials, and short films, with her first feature being an anthology produced by James Franco. Her work has been featured in numerous publications including Directors Library, Shots Creative, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Nylon Magazine, LLB, Shoot Online, Ad Age, Girl Gaze, and Vimeo Staff Pick.
With a background in fashion photography, she has shot for an extensive list of high-profile clients including Sacha Baron Cohen, Sean Penn, and Zoe Saldana, and was recently published in Marie Claire. Her photography lends itself to her directorial work, allowing her to create visually striking projects that are playful with a strong point of view.
