Magicians have been using the art of illusion to deceive the mind for centuries, yet it appears that even they can fall victim to trickery. In Fish Bowl Films and Magic Castle Entertainment Production’s documentary Stealing Magic, the audience will follow British illusionist Andi Gladwin as he launches a multi-year global investigation of an online piracy ring whose mark is any and everyone with a magic trick. Gladwin teams up with magicians from across the world to follow a trail of encrypted messages, aliases, and suspicious transactions through an underground marketplace built on stolen magic. The team of magicians faces intimidation, threats, and the possibility that the traitor is one of their very own. Check out an exclusive first look below:The film explores the behind-the-scenes of what makes magic, well, magic. It’s about the value of creativity and how those who are willing to fight for it have to go up against those who use their sleight of hand to, literally, steal magic. Stealing Magic director Matthew Testa has worked on numerous notable projects, including Manifesto of a Serial Killer (2023), The Toolbox Killer (2021), the miniseries The Witnesses (2020), Gold Rush (2010-2011), and the 2017 documentary Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story. cnx.cmd.push(function() {cnx({playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530",}).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796");});In a press release provided to Den of Geek, Testa notes that he came into the project with a limited understanding of magic and used his magical naivety to understand the community of illusion artisans, highlighting them in a way that shows the core of the trade. “The film became not just an investigation into piracy, but an exploration of the people behind the illusions — creators whose work is often invisible even as it inspires wonder around the world,” Testa says.With the idea of uplifting a community whose livelihood and integrity were being breached, Testa set out to create a renewed appreciation for the artists who spend their lives creating wonder, and the Jason Bourne-like lengths they will go to protect it. The documentary explores, at its essence, the lack of protections that has created a billion-dollar global market. Kearney, a management consulting firm, estimates that globally, internet piracy costs the entertainment industry around $75 billion annually. In a world that is already talking so much about the theft of intellectual and creative property at the dawn of the age of AI, the lack of protections for creatives is jarring. With a 1-hour and 27-minute runtime, Stealing Magic explores the magic community’s identity, dedication to the craft, and the real impacts piracy has on not only the livelihood of creatives but also the price of leaving fantasy unprotected. Stealing Magic premieres Friday, June 5 at the Tribeca Film Festival. The post Documentary Stealing Magic Takes on Trickery Within the World of Illusions appeared first on Den of Geek.