SummerDocs Will Start With a Hoax

JT LeRoy, alias Laura Albert, will be the focus of the first SummerDoc of the season.

“JT LeRoy” was the creation of Laura Albert, who at the time of her unmasking had written a decade’s worth of articles and books under the name of what she called her “avatar.”

Jun. 15, 2016

Jennifer Landes

The Hamptons International Film Festival will bring back its popular SummerDocs series for the eighth time this summer, beginning on July 9 with “Author: The JT Leroy Story,” which examines the unraveling of a decade-long literary hoax and the perpetrator behind it.

“JT LeRoy” was the creation of Laura Albert, who at the time of her unmasking had written a decade’s worth of articles and books under the name of what she called her “avatar.” For her, it was a performance, but she was successfully sued for fraud by signing legal papers in her male alter ego’s name.

The film chronicles both her life as a punk rocker and phone-sex operator as well as her adventures as LeRoy, through rock and fashion shows and onto the red carpet in Cannes. It captures her own creative odyssey through the fictional character who became her own voice, until a New York Magazine article exposed the truth.

A discussion of the film following the screening will include Jeff Feuerzeig, its director, and David Nugent, the artistic director of the film festival. Alec Baldwin will moderate.

Mr. Nugent and Mr. Baldwin are responsible for choosing the films in the series, which will also include “Betting on Zero” on Aug. 6 and “A Perfect Candidate” on Aug. 27 .