"But that's the thing that sticks in the craw at the end of SANTACON. For all the interviewees' commentary on artistic values and experimentation and freedom, what the home video footage ultimately proves is that SantaCon was always mostly about getting drunk and running amok. From the very beginning, many people were there purely to cause mayhem. It always involved bro jokes, flashing body parts and imbibing too much booze. SANTACON is smart enough to let the evidence speak for itself."
"'Santacon' opens this year's San Francisco IndieFest on Feb. 5, 2026. Filmmaker Seth Porges and original SantaCon participants are expected to appear for a Q&A after the screening. As early as 1998, Santas can be seen roaming through the streets chanting 'Hey hey! Ho ho! Santa needs some blow!'"
Founders of SantaCon, including Chuck Palahniuk, present the event as artistic street theater and social commentary with anti-capitalist intent. Early participants framed pranks as ways to mock power without attacking wealth directly. Archived home-video footage shows pervasive drinking, mayhem, bro humor, flashing, and deliberate disruption from the outset. Many attendees attended solely to cause mischief rather than pursue art or critique. The documentary SANTACON lets the footage illustrate those behaviors and tensions between stated intent and actual conduct. The film will screen at San Francisco IndieFest on Feb. 5, 2026, with a Q&A featuring filmmaker Seth Porges and original participants.
Read at Kqed
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