Kiwi filmmaker Dylan Reeve came under fire this afternoon from a man at the centre of his Tickled documentary, who burst into a US screening of the film and accused Mr Reeve of lying.
The man, understood to be David D'Amato, brought to a halt a question and answer sessionon the professional tickling documentary at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles at 4pm New Zealand time.
He claimed Mr Reeve and the documentary's co-creator David Farrier, used recorded information from a subject that they agreed not to.
Despite receiving rave reviews around the globe the documentary about the strange world of competitive tickling has attracted much controversy and two lawsuits.
David Farrier in a scene from his documentary Tickled. Photo / Michael Craig
Former New Zealand journalist David Farrier and his co-director Mr Reeve are being sued for defamation over the investigative-style film.
Mr D'Amato, son of late New York insurance lawyer George D'Amato, reportedly made the legal threats against the duo, resulting in the pair hiring American lawyers to defend the case.
Today's heated argument comes just days after a website was launched to discredit the documentary, calling it a "liarmentary".
It's thought another subject of the film, Kevin Clarke, is behind the site.
Tickled, Mr Farrier's first film, premiered at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival and was soon picked up by both HBO and Magnolia for the North American market.
