SDSU Student Film “YEUX” Selected for National PBS Broadcast

There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to bring a film to life. Off camera, making a film takes a significant amount of time, hands, energy, and planning.

It’s an art that requires dedication, flexibility, resilience, and above all – a willingness to try new things.

“You have to put yourself out there in a way that is so vulnerable and so unique,” said Jeanne Taylor, a television, film, and new media and English and comparative literature major at San Diego State University.

“YEUX,” a documentary made by Taylor and fellow SDSU student filmmakers Selina Gonzalez, Ariana Barcenas, and Zoe Yahrling, was accepted into the PBS Fine Cut Film Festival and will be nationally broadcast on PBS on Oct. 22.

The students made the film as part of their TFM 540 documentary production class, a required course for undergraduate TFM students.

This is the second time a film from students in TFM 540 has been accepted to the PBS Fine Cut Film Festival. “Ballet Folklórico,” directed by Nindiya Andarini Maheswari Putri, was accepted into the same festival last year.

“We’re all so extremely proud of our work,” Taylor said. “I think I’m super happy that my artistic vision and the way I went about it – rather uniquely – was accepted, not only by my peers, not only by my professor, but by PBS and those who voted to keep it as a finalist.”

The festival features films from a wide range of Southern California colleges, and “YEUX” was the only San Diego film that made it into the final cut.

Taylor titled the film “YEUX” after the French word meaning “eyes.” She was inspired by the old saying, “the eyes are the windows to the soul,” and wanted the film to explore the importance and symbolism of eyes in the context of makeup and one’s sense of self.

“Our film is about the queer identity and the queer self love, and how that all relates to the makeup industry, (and) how we can go from finding ourselves through our makeup being that art form, and then at the same time losing ourselves within the art form,” said Taylor.

Inspired by her own experiences and relationship with makeup, Taylor hopes that the film will prompt viewers to think about their own relationship with cosmetics.

“As a trans woman, I really wanted to highlight the kind of strange feelings I have with makeup,” Taylor said. “I feel like I’m not woman enough because I don’t know how to use concealer and foundation and things like that, but I also feel extremely artistic within makeup because I am able to do what I really want.”

Taylor believes that makeup is a form of expression, and figuring out how one wants to present themselves to the world is an important aspect of identity, especially for those with LGBTQ+ identities. She shared that learning how to use makeup was a large part of her journey coming into her own.

The students poured their hearts and minds into the film. Taylor directed, Barcenas produced and did on-set sound mixing, Yahrling worked as the cinematographer and director of photography, and Gonzalez edited and coordinated the publicity for the film.

Taylor said trusting the process and meeting new people were her favorite parts of working on the film, and that all the collaborating creatives on her team brought many unique perspectives and experiences to the table.

“There’s something magic in (the film) that I really love, and (I’m) just so happy that we are able to accomplish it, despite all the hurdles and such behind the scenes,” Taylor said.

“I’m really happy that this film was picked,” said Mary Posatko, a TFM associate professor. “Any time that you make a film, I think it’s really scary and vulnerable, and I think this is a wonderful recognition.”

Posatko is in her fourth year of teaching at SDSU and has taught TFM 540 every semester. Taylor, Barcenas, Yahrling, and Gonzalez were in her class in Spring 2025.

“I love the class,” Postako said. “It’s one of the only classes in TFM where the students get to make an entire – very short – but short film all by themselves, which I think is really fun for them and a great opportunity.”

Taylor said TFM 540 was an opportunity to let her creativity flourish and to see her peers’ projects evolve and take off as well, creating an environment that inspired and challenged them.

The class is hands-on and the curriculum teaches students how to approach the process of filmmaking, engage with their community, work in groups, and grow as people and filmmakers.

“Documentary is a tool to empathy, which is what we need the most right now,” Posatko said.

For more information on the SDSU Television, Film, and New Media program visit ttf.sdsu.edu/programs/television-film-media.