"," a documentary that takes a nonpartisan look at the human and financial cost of illegal immigration, will have its big screen debut at in East Hampton on March 31.
East Hampton filmmaker and director said his distributor urged him to open his second film in New York City or Los Angeles, but he insisted on a venue closer to home, where one-third of the film was film was shot.
John Roland, a former television anchor with Fox 5 New York and longtime Westhampton Beach resident who helped Lynch in some of the interviews for the film, will host a Q&A session afterwards with Lynch. The film starts at 7:45 p.m.
"I'm a little nervous about showing the film in my hometown because illegal immigration sparks its fair share of heavy emotion and opinion," Lynch said. "But regardless of peoples' differences, I think everyone agrees the issue can no longer be ignored. And so I'm hopeful the film can play it's roll in forcing D.C. to address the situation."
Lynch said he was recently contacted by a staff member at the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration who asked to see the film. "She was impressed, and is now trying to get the film and me in front of members of Congress," he said.
The film takes viewers to the U.S.-Mexico border where he and his crew slept in the desert for three days dodging cartels that run human and drug trafficking operations. "I wanted to see how open our borders are," Lynch told Patch. "They are really open."
His first film, "King of the Hamptons," sold out at the Hamptons International Film Festival in 2010 twice. "King" is being digitally released on May 9 and those in attendance for "They Come to America" will have first chance to buy the DVD for $10.
Lynch said every dollar from the DVD, and a portion of the ticket sales, will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the name of the late Katherin Penati, of East Hampton, a friend who died last year.
Tickets for the film premiere in East Hampton are on sale at on the film website for $12.50 in advance or $15 at the door, if available.
Next month, the film will be shown in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Durango, CO, and the Myrtle Beach International Film Festival in South Carolina.
