A crowd gathers outside the theatre to watch the confrontation.

The man who features at the centre of the Tickled documentary has gatecrashed a screening of the film in the US and verbally abused Kiwi filmmaker Dylan Reeve.

A crowd of people booed as the man, named as David D'Amato, interrupted a question and answer session with fans at Nuart theatre in Los Angeles at 4pm Saturday NZ time.

The awkward showdown was broadcast live on Facebook and those watching on appeared to be hanging on every word, with several posting on social media that it was "crazy" and "insane".

MAGNOLIA PICTURES/FACEBOOK David D'Amato interrupted a screening of Tickled to abuse Kiwi filmmaker Dylan Reeve.

So Dylan is doing a live q&a in LA (I am in NY) and Kevin and D'Amato is in the audience — David Farrier (@davidfarrier) June 18, 2016

So Dylan is doing a live q&a in LA (I am in NY) and Kevin and D'Amato is in the audience — David Farrier (@davidfarrier) June 18, 2016

CHRIS MCKEEN / FAIRFAX NZ David Farrier and Dylan Reeve at Auckland's Civic Theatre during the NZ Film Festival.

In his comments, D'Amato warned there would be lengthy lawsuits over the film and said: "You need to lawyer up. You need to get criminal counsel".

READ MORE:

* David Farrier's Tickled attacked as 'liarmentary' by subjects

* David Farrier: man without a masterplan

* Farrier faces legal threats over Tickled

* Tickled: David Farrier takes us behind-the-scenes

Before going into the Q and A Reeve was ambushed by Kevin Clarke, who works for D'Amato. In their testy 15-minute exchange Clarke argues the film was full of lies.

TWITTER A confrontation at the Los Angeles premiere of Tickled was live streamed.

While Reeve defended the methods of he and co-director, David Farrier, Clarke kept repeating demands that recordings of interviews be released.

"The film is a piece of garbage full of lies," he said.

"Release the audio tapes that show you're lying. And if you don't release it, it's the same as admitting you're lying."

LAWRENCE SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ David Farrier is being sued by the subject of his documentary on professional tickling.

It came after a website was launched this week by Clarke, apparently designed to discredit the documentary and Reeve and Farrier.

In the page, authored by Clarke, he refers to Tickled as a 'liarmentary'.

Farrier has fielded two legal threats already from the subjects of his film about the world of competitive endurance tickling and has hired US lawyers to defend the cases.

He's maintained that he's entirely confident about the movie and had every line checked by lawyers before release.

Tickled, Farrier's first film, has received widespread critical acclaim, with the New York Times giving it a glowing write up this week.

Chief film critic Manohla Dargis placed it on the "NYT Critics' Pick" this week.

She wrote Farrier was "less of a showboat than some documentarians who assume that role, and, after a while, this measured quality feels as much an ethical choice as a matter of temperament".

"[Farrier] and Mr. Reeve see the humour, but they also see the pathos — because it's all fun and giggles until someone gets hurt."