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Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara

Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara

ERIN LEE CARR | USA | 2024 | 99 MIN | ENGLISH

ERIN LEE CARR | USA | 2024 | 99 MIN | ENGLISH

DocumentaryZEITGEIST

Synopsis

Tegan Quin (of Tegan and Sara fame) has been the victim of identity theft and an ongoing catfishing scam for over 15 years. While investigating, she shares for the first time how she was ensnared in toxic fan culture that revealed the dark side of fame. As one of the most influential queer indie rock bands of their generation, Tegan and Sara worked hard to cultivate an inclusive and passionate fanbase around the world. Fans were drawn to the duo’s beautifully confessional lyrics and found within the community a safe space be queer during a time when few bands would declare allyship, let alone celebrate their own queer identity. But Tegan and Sara’s world turned upside down when Tegan’s personal files were hacked in 2011 and weaponized by a bad actor in a complex catfish scheme to ensnare members of this community. Told through Tegan’s own voice, the voices of deceived fans, a trove of communications between fake Tegan and their victims, and the visual history of the band’s behind-the-scenes archive, this documentary feature is a thriller, a caper, a whodunnit, and an intimate personal journey rolled into one.

Trailer

Filmmaker Bio

Erin Lee Carr is a two-time Emmy nominated filmmaker known for exploring criminal justice, femininity and virality. ELC currently has an unscripted first look deal with HBO and a scripted first look deal with studio UCP for Universal.

Producer

Erin Lee Carr, Elyssa Hess, Jenny Eliscu

Cinematographer

Ava Benjamin Shorr

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