Director Bianca Poletti Exposes Extreme Standards of Online 'Perfection' in Short Film

Acclaimed director Bianca Poletti releases her latest short film, FaceTweak, a thought-provoking exploration of self-image in the age of AI. The film follows a teenage girl who becomes immersed in AI face-tuning, pushing her to extremes to reach online 'perfection'. With a sharp, Black Mirror-inspired tone, FaceTweak offers a bold commentary on the intersection of beauty, technology, and the increasing societal pressure today - raising the question: When is enough truly enough?

FaceTweak blends humour and discomfort to highlight this slippery slope between harmless experimentation and an unhealthy obsession with digital perfection. Recent studies underscore the worrying impact this has on young people’s mental health. Girlguiding’s latest figures reveal that 54% of girls aged 11–21 wish they looked like the filtered versions of themselves on social media, and 36% feel pressured to use beauty filters. Similarly, Internet Matters, a children’s online safety non-profit, reports that “beautifying filters contributed to a distorted worldview in which perfected images are normalised”, leading to “significant social pressure” to conform to unrealistic standards - often without young users even realising the images are edited. With the number of social media users projected to rise to six billion by 2027 - the influence of digital platforms on body image and self-perception is only set to increase with it. FaceTweak confronts these dynamics, using satire to reflect the psychological implications of extreme online identities.

FaceTweak was conceived spontaneously during pre-production for Biancas latest project, Video Barn, which recently premiered at SXSW. With extra time remaining after filming the trailer, the idea quickly took shape, with the script finalised just a week before shooting. Inspired by a surge of TikTok videos featuring teenagers altering their faces with AI filters and even undergoing plastic surgery to match their digitally enhanced images, Bianca was compelled to delve deeper into this evolving online phenomenon. Bianca states, “When does tweaking our image stop? When is it enough? When do we feel complete + "perfect?" The substance is a great ref for this, focusing on aging, but again, taking things to the extreme.”

Bianca's work often navigates different facets of the human psyche, bringing together vivid aesthetics with strong, character-driven narratives. Her portfolio spans music videos, commercials, and narrative films, with projects earning accolades from SXSW, Vimeo Staff Picks, and CICLOPE. FaceTweak exemplifies her boundary-pushing vision, brought to life by a talented team of collaborators - including cinematographer Kayla Hoff, editor Dusten Zimmerman at Cabin Edit, VFX by Parliament, and vibrant production design by Sara Fern.

Balancing dark satire with poignant reflection, FaceTweak confronts viewers with the blurred lines between authenticity and artificiality in the digital age.