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    General Magic

    Directed by Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude
    UK/USA | 90 minutes | True Stories

Uncovering the fascinating history of arguably the most mythicized tech start-up in Silicon Valley history, General Magic is an illuminating, nostalgic trip to the early 1990s, when a bunch of geeks aspired to change the world with the touch of a screen.

film synopsis

Before there was Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk, there was Marc Porat and his merry band of techies dedicating every waking hour, and even their dreams, to achieving the seemingly impossible. Created as an offshoot of Apple following the meteoric rise of the Macintosh, Porat’s General Magic was tasked with changing the world — and the device to do it was a handheld, touch-screen computer that was always connected to a radical thing called the Internet. Sound familiar? This endearing documentary basks in unseen archival footage of a bygone era when idyllic coders voluntarily bunked in offices where you can almost smell the body odor. Yet, as the insurmountable hype built, General Magic faced unforeseen obstacles and the tragic truth that maybe they were ahead of their time. Featuring dozens of interviews with those who lived it, including Joanna Hoffman and Tony Fadell, General Magic is a delightful ode to the pioneers of our time.

In competition for the Schlesinger Documentary Award.

film details

Director: Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude
Producers: Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude
Screenwriter: Sarah Kerruish, Jonathan Key, Matt Maude
Cinematographers: Matt Maude, Jay Maude
Editor: Claire Ferguson, Anna Meller
Music: Benji Merrison
Country: UK/USA
Language: English
Year: 2018
Running Time: 90 minutes
Primary Company: Spellbound Productions II
Website: https://www.generalmagicthemovie.com

director biography

guests in attendance

Director Matthew Maude will be in attendance January 4 and 5.

2019 Film Festival