FANATICAL: THE CATFISHING OF TEGAN AND SARA (Documentary Centerpiece)

Tegan and Sara ascended to global fame as one of the most influential queer indie rock bands of their generation. They worked hard to cultivate an inclusive and passionate fanbase around the world. Listeners were drawn to the duo’s beautifully confessional lyrics, but there was more than just the music. Fans found within the community the only safe space to come out and be queer during a time when few bands would declare allyship, let alone celebrate their own queer identity. But a bad actor took advantage of the community’s trust and comfort, and Tegan and Sara’s world turned upside down when Tegan’s personal files were hacked in 2011, revealing the dark side of fame and fandom.

Fresh off its premiere at TIFF and directed with compassion by filmmaker and investigator Erin Lee Carr (BRITNEY VS. SPEARS), this searing documentary is a sprawling yet intimate story of how Tegan’s identity was stolen and weaponized in a complex catfish scheme to ensnare members of this community.

Interwoven with the investigation Tegan’s team originally conducted in 2011 they uncover new victims and potential suspects and reveal sinister and unforeseen twists. Told through Tegan’s own voice, the voices of deceived fans, a trove of visceral 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. It cuts to the heart of love and betrayal, fame and fandom, desire and delusion in the 21st century.

Erin Lee Carr

Tegan Quin, Sara Quin, Erin Lee Carr, Jenny Eliscu