“I’m not going to settle in this small, little town I live in,” 16-year-old Austyn Tester announces in the trailer for “Jawline.” “I got to go explore the world, I gotta see how big the world is.” And he figures the best way to do that is to become famous on social media. Liza Mandelup’s Sundance award-winning doc follows the Tennessee teen as he builds an online fanbase via Instagram and motivational live broadcasts.
At the same time, “Jawline” delves into the specific sub-culture that is social media fame, including the marketing behind it and the parasocial relationship that develops between fans and stars. “There’s no shortage of people wanting to be famous on social media, but you cannot simply just make content,” a strategist explains in the spot, “you need a team and people working for your goals.” Later on, he adds that he wouldn’t work for Austyn, who only has 23.2 thousand followers on Instagram.
One broadcaster describes her online fame as “kind of weird,” but notes that “it also feels like you have a family.” A fan declares that the social media stars she follows are “like those friends that I’ve never had and I wish I had.”
“Jawline” made its world premiere in Sundance’s U.S. Documentary competition this year, where Mandelup won a Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker. The film has gone on to screen at numerous other fests, including CPH:DOX, Sheffield Film Festival, and BAMcinemaFest.
Mandelup previously helmed shorts “Showpony,” “Sundown,” and “Fangirl.”
“Jawline” will hit select theaters and begin streaming on Hulu August 23.
