The Cult of JT LeRoy Added to DOC NYC Lineup

DOC NYC has added the World Premiere of The Cult of JT LeRoy to the festival’s Special Events section. The film, directed by Marjorie Sturm, gives an intimate view inside one of the biggest literary hoaxes of our time.

“Like an intricate jigsaw puzzle that comes together, I’m thrilled to be at long last premiering my film about the iconic writer JT LeRoy, which has been, to say the least, an epic journey,” said Sturm.

“I’m mesmerized by this film,” said DOC NYC artistic director Thom Powers. “I thought I knew this story, but The Cult of JT LeRoy reveals layers and perspectives I never understood before. We’re extremely proud to present it.”

LeRoy attracted a devoted following through stark tales of poverty, abuse and underage prostitution in books like Sarah and The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things. His was a rags-to-riches story, with his own tortured life inspiring his writing—or so he claimed. In public, JT LeRoy was a mysterious figure, appearing in a wig and sunglasses, mixing with a fashionable crowd of writers, musicians and filmmakers. But in a surprise reversal of fortune, journalists uncovered that JT LeRoy wasn’t who he claimed to be.

Sturm gained access to LeRoy’s circle before the deception was revealed. She chronicles what really happened and explores our culture’s complicity with the author’s seductive cult of personality.