HamptonsFilm’s SummerDocs series will return for its 17th annual edition in partnership with East Hampton’s Guild Hall. This summer’s presentations of documentary features will kick off with a screening of the HBO original documentary “My Mom Jayne,” a film by Mariska Hargitay, on Thursday, July 17, at 7 p.m. at Guild Hall, followed by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’s “Middletown” on Friday, August 29, at 7 p.m. also at Guild Hall.
HamptonsFilm Artistic Director David Nugent and Co-Chair Alec Baldwin will lead conversations with attending filmmakers and guests, including director Mariska Hargitay for “My Mom Jayne,” and directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss and subject Jeff Dutemple for “Middletown.”
“Now in its 17th year, our SummerDocs Series continues to spotlight some of the most talked-about and buzzy documentaries of the season, and 2025 is no exception,” said David Nugent. “The two films we’ve selected this summer have already generated outstanding audience response, and we’re thrilled to share them with our East End audiences.”
“My Mom Jayne” marks Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress and filmmaker Hargitay’s feature film directorial debut. For the first time she has delved into the story and legacy of her mother Jayne Mansfield, almost 60 years after the Hollywood legend’s tragic death.
Hargitay was just three years old when her mother, Jayne Mansfield, tragically died in a car accident at age 34. The film follows Hargitay as she seeks to know, understand and embrace her mother for the first time. Through intimate interviews and a collection of never-before-seen photos and home movies, she grapples with her mother’s public and private legacy and discovers the layers and depth of who Mansfield was, not only to her audience but to those who were closest to her.
Previously Hargitay, along with Trish Adlesic, produced HBO’s Emmy-winning documentary, “I Am Evidence” (HIFF 2017, Winner: 2017 Victor Rabinowitz and Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice).
“Middletown” takes place in Upstate New York in 1991. A group of teenage misfits, inspired by a renegade English teacher, embark on a student film project and uncover a vast conspiracy that is poisoning the ground beneath their feet. Banding together to confront the indifferent adults, corrupt politicians and a violent criminal organization threatening their small town, they produce an investigative documentary that causes shockwaves in their community.
The film is a coming-of-age story based on exclusive access to hundreds of hours of candid, humorous and nostalgic video outtakes, and the cooperation of Fred Isseks and his intrepid students as they reckon — 30 years later — with a defining event in their lives and a remarkable story of civic courage.
Tickets for the 2025 SummerDocs are available at guildhall.org. Guilt Hall is at 158 Main Street in East Hampton.
In addition, this summer HamptonsFilm will also bring back its free Outdoor Screening Series, featuring a lineup of classic crowd pleasers presented Wednesday evenings throughout the summer at East Hampton Village’s Herrick Park and Main Beach. Additional HamptonsFilm summer programming includes Film Camps for students ages 8 to 18, taking place July 7 to 11 in East Hampton. For information on all the summer programming, visit Hamptonsfilmfest.org.
HamptonsFilm 2025 Free Outdoor Screening Series:
“Top Gun Maverick” - Wednesday, July 9, at sunset at Herrick Park.
“Jaws” (50th anniversary) - Wednesday, July 23, at sunset at Main Beach.
“Elf” (Christmas in July) - Wednesday, July 30, at sunset at Herrick Park.
“School of Rock” - Wednesday, August 6, at sunset at Herrick Park.
“Toy Story” (30th anniversary) - Wednesday, August 13, at sunset at Herrick Park.
“Barbie” - Wednesday, August 20, at sunset at Main Beach.
Staff Writer on Jun 1, 2025