East Hampton's Mariska Hargitay Takes Top Honor at Doc Awards

“I’m profoundly honored to be in this room of great documentary filmmakers,” East Hampton’s Mariska Hargitay told the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan Sunday night. “This film was a chance to get to know my mother and the material scared me,” she added.

My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay was named Best First Documentary Feature by the Critics Choice Association. The film originally debuted at Cannes followed by screenings at the Tribeca Film Festival and a sold-out Guild Hall Summer Docs HIFF screening in July.

“A number of celebrities are being honored this year for making films about their famous parents,” cracked emcee Aasif Mandvi. “Ben Stiller made one about his famous parents, Mariska Hargitay make one about her mother, and Colin Hanks made a documentary about John Candy. That’s gotta hurt,” the former Daily Show contributor joked.

Hargitay held back tears through her acceptance speech calling the whole experience a “bumpy ride.” The film has been widely lauded and reveals that Hargitay’s biological father is singer Nelson Sardelli, not Mickey Hargitay, the man who raised her.

The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, “SVU” star discovered this secret in her mid-20s and spent years keeping it from Mickey, who she was loyal to, but ultimately explored the truth in this directorial debut which also introduced the actress to her biological father and her Sardelli sisters.

The film bested Stiller’s heartfelt tribute Stiller and Meara: Nothing Is Lost and several other first-timer efforts. In other East End highlights, Hamptons regular Chris Hegedus gave out the D.A. Pennebaker Award to Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. Pennebaker and his partner/wife Hegedus spent many summers in Sag Harbor. The 10th annual event featured Bridgehampton’s Bill McCuddy as the announcer.

Best Overall Documentary went to the body cam Netflix film The Perfect Neighbor about a racially charged incident in rural Florida. In all, it took home five awards. Ken Burns was given the Impact Award for his work and thanked “PBS, that’s my home and it’s going to make it through tough times.”

When Mandvi pointed out the actual Civil War was shorter than Burns’ version, the veteran filmmaker laughed heartily and promised to keep his acceptance speech to “nine parts.”

Others in attendance as presenters included Christine Baranski, Michael Chernus, Brian d’Arcy James, Soledad O’Brien and Sheila Nevins. The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics group in North America with more than 500 media representatives.