SummerDocs Series Returns To Guild Hall With Alec Baldwin

The Hamptons International Film Festival will present the eighth annual SummerDocs series at Guild Hall in East Hampton starting Saturday, July 9, showcasing acclaimed documentary films with HIFF co-chairman and series presenter Alec Baldwin interviewing filmmakers and special guests.

Three documentaries were selected for the series: “Author: The JT LeRoy Story,” screening July 9 at 7 p.m., “Betting on Zero,” August 6 at 7:30 p.m., and “A Perfect Candidate,” August 27 at 7 p.m.

Among the films previously included in SummerDocs are “Twenty Feet From Stardom,” “The Cove” and “Searching for Sugarman,” which all went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

“Now in its eighth year, the SummerDocs series has become one of the most anticipated and respected film events in the New York and Hamptons summer calendar,” Mr. Baldwin said in a press release. “We are proud to once again screen some of the best in documentary filmmaking to our audiences and provide an insightful look into the process in conversations with leading filmmakers.”

“There’s a lot of stuff that goes on in the Hamptons, especially in the summer,” said David Nugent, HIFF’s artistic director. “People can see narrative films all year on the big screen, but there are so many documentaries that don’t make it out to the big screens. We really want to try and show people these great films and get them talking about it, because the films are about the discussion after it’s over, as much as the movie itself.”

“Author: The JT LeRoy Story,” reveals how 40-year-old San Francisco punk rocker Laura Albert created the persona of JT LeRoy, a literary figure whose work was published in magazines such as Nerve and Shout NY. LeRoy was a well-regarded name in the literary world from its first use in 1996 until 2005, when the October issue of New York magazine exposed LeRoy’s true identity. In the film, Ms. Albert explains how she kept up the façade for nearly a decade and what it did to her personally. After the screening, the film’s director, Jeff Feuerzeig, will sit down for an interview with Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Nugent.

“Betting on Zero” takes a look at the shady business world and what it means for the working people caught in the web. It follows Bill Ackman, a controversial hedge fund titan looking to expose global nutrition giant Herbalife as the largest pyramid scheme in history, while Herbalife claims that Mr. Ackman is out to slander the company. Director Ted Braun will be in attendance.

“A Perfect Candidate,” tells the story of the 1994 U.S. Senate election between Oliver North and Chuck Robb. Mr. North was an ex-Marine who reemerged after the Iran-Contra scandal to run for Senate against incumbent Senator Robb. The film looks behind the scenes at how the modern political landscape turns everything into a circus. Directors R.J. Cutler and David Van Taylor will attend and join Mr. Baldwin in discussion.

“A Perfect Crime” will be the first time a classic documentary will be shown at the series. According to Mr. Nugent, the selection was fitting given today’s political environment.

“We’ll be screening in the heat of the election year ahead and we just felt like it was a nice opportunity to change things up. It was made 20 years ago, but it’s as relevant today considering what’s going on in the system so we thought the public should see it.”

Tickets for reserved seating are $25 for the public and $23 for Guild Hall members, and can be purchased at guildhall.org or the box office.