NEW YORK, June 8, 2026 — Stealing Magic, the feature documentary following magician and Vanishing Inc co-founder Andi Gladwin’s international pursuit of organized magic piracy, received an enthusiastic critical reception following its world premiere Friday at the 2026 Tribeca Festival.
The premiere included three sold-out opening-weekend Tribeca screenings. The festival added a fourth New York date, with the final screening set for Sunday, June 14, at AMC 19th St. East 6. Concurrent with the extended Tribeca run, the film travels to Washington, D.C., for a June 12 screening at DC/DOX at the Burke Theatre at the U.S. Navy Memorial.
Gladwin marked the occasion on social media. “There are moments in my life and career that I will never forget,” he wrote on Facebook. “The Tribeca premiere of Stealing Magic last night is at the top of that list. As you’ll see from the credits, over 100 people were involved in telling my story and it was incredible to celebrate with them all last night.”
Director Matthew Testa called the reception beyond expectations. “To have our world premiere at the 25th Tribeca Film Festival is an honor for any movie, but it’s especially validating for this film about the magic community and those trying to protect it,” Testa told Conjurly. “We have been so inspired by the audience reactions to the film. People are riveted by the story and engaged in the issue, and the festival has scheduled a fourth screening for us because of the enthusiasm around this movie. We could not be happier.”
Testa told Conjurly that his pride in the Tribeca inclusion deepens knowing the festival received 13,500 submissions this year.
Gladwin told Conjurly that the audience response has been overwhelming. “At its core, the film argues that the magic community’s strength lies in solidarity; that together, we are always more than a match for those who exploit us,” he said. “And I’ve been genuinely overwhelmed by how much that message, and the story behind it, has resonated. It has been a total thrill to experience the buzz at Tribeca, and I’m excited for the next two screenings.”
Critical Reviews Strong Across the Board
Mike McGranaghan of The Aisle Seat, a member of the Critics Choice Association, called it “a real-life thriller as entertaining as it is gripping,” writing that “every minute of the documentary keeps you under its spell.” See his full review at aisleseat.com.
Tina Kakadelis of Beyond the Cinerama Dome described it as a film “where the viewer simply cannot guess the journey they’re about to embark on,” and noted that the film raises a pointed question about who sustains the piracy operation: since the site does not surface in standard internet searches, its customers are likely people within the magic community itself, knowingly purchasing stolen work at the expense of fellow illusionists. Her review closes with a line from one of the film’s subjects: “every form of creativity is worth saving.” See full review at beyondthecineramadome.com.
Steve Kopian of Unseen Films, reviewing from the June 5 premiere screening, called it “an absolute delight” and “a twisty and turny ride” he couldn’t wait to see again. See full review at unseenfilms.net.
John Stark of MacTheMovieGuy awarded it an 8.9 out of 10 in a video review, comparing its mystery structure favorably to Ocean’s Eleven and calling it “really some top-notch entertaining documentary filmmaking.” Stark predicted the film should be an easy streaming pickup — “I can see this branded on any of their platforms” — and summed it up plainly: “Documentaries are rarely this fun and pure escapist flair, but somehow Stealing Magic manages to pull it off.” See full review at macthemovieguy.com.
Tribeca Senior Programmer Faridah Gbadamosi, who selected the film for the festival, called it “a surprising ride that fully exemplifies the old adage: the truth is stranger than fiction.”
Erdnase Website at Center of Piracy
No official trailer has been released. However, this brief clip from Stealing Magic was released on YouTube by Fishbowl Films and identifies the culprit in the piracy and provides a sample of the production.
Stealing Magic centers on the Erdnase Magic Store, a piracy website named after S.W. Erdnase, the pseudonymous author of the 1902 card magic landmark The Expert at the Card Table. Gladwin, co-founder of Vanishing Inc., leads colleagues Joshua Jay and George Luck on an investigation that spans eight years — the final three captured on film — taking the team to Egypt, Paris, and other locations, at one point deploying a decoy package fitted with a tracker to trace its path to the culprit. The operation eventually attempts to intimidate Gladwin’s team as they close in.
For full background on the film, its eight-year investigation, and the production team behind it, see Conjurly’s original report.
Stealing Magic has no announced distribution deal yet, but early festival momentum — three sold-out Tribeca screenings, a fourth added by popular demand, and uniformly strong critical notices — suggests it will not be without a home for long.
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