With social media so ubiquitous, it was only a matter of time before documentarians tackle the trend of social media celebrity. Last year, one of our favorite docs that was making the festival rounds was the film “Social Animals,” which looked at Instagram and the rise of teen celebs. Now, Hulu is getting involved with another festival darling doc, titled “Jawline.”
Unlike other social media docs, “Jawline” focuses on the fairly under-the-radar world of personal internet broadcasting, specifically with the young teen Austyn Tester. At only 16, Tester dreams of stardom by building his brand and name on broadcasting site YouNow, where he just sets up his cell phone and talks to his fans during live broadcasts.
READ MORE: ‘Clemency’ & ‘Brittany Runs A Marathon’ Top 2019 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners
The film also looks at the various facets of social media stardom from folks that represent these young stars and the discussion about what it takes to be popular on platforms like Instagram. Basically, as long as you’re young and attractive (with a certain jawline…see what they did there?), you can make it big. But fame is fleeting and sometimes elusive to those like Austyn, who eat, sleep, and live social media.
The doc is the debut feature for Liza Mandelup. “Jawline” made its premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it ended up landing the Special Jury Prize for Emerging Filmmaker.
“Jawline” is set to arrive in select theaters & Hulu on August 23.
Here’s the synopsis:
Liza Mandelup’s feature debut, JAWLINE follows 16-year-old Austyn Tester, a rising star in the live-broadcast ecosystem who built his following on wide-eyed optimism and teen girl lust, as he tries to escape a dead-end life in rural Tennessee.
