General Magic
Synopsis
Spun out from Apple in 1990 to create the ‘next big thing’, the ideas that now dominate the tech industry and our day-to-day lives were born at General Magic. The first smartphones. Social media. E-commerce. Even the beloved emoji. But this was before the web, before 3G, before Google, before everyone had a mobile phone in their pocket. The world was not ready in 1994 to hold the world in its hands. And though General Magic died, those concepts and the people who pioneered them went on to change almost everything.
Combining rare archive footage with contemporary stories of the Magicians today, this documentary tracks the progress of anytime, anywhere communication from a thing of sci-fi fiction in 1994 to a reality in our pockets and on our wrists today.
With members of the original Mac team and the creators of the iPhone, Android, eBay and more, this is the story of one of history’s most talented teams and what happens when those who dream big fail, fail again, fail better and ultimately succeed.
Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival 2018 - Spotlight Documentary - World premiere
Details
- Year
- 2018
- Type of project
- Features
- Running time
- 90 mins
- Format
- Digital
- Director
-
Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude 1st Feature
- Producer
- Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude
- Co-Producer
- Ceri Tallett, Dee Gardetti
- Executive Producer
- Reynold D'Silva, John Giannadrea, Michael Stern
- Editor
- Claire Ferguson, Anna Meller
- Screenwriter
- Sarah Kerruish, Jonathan Key, Matt Maude, Michael Stern, Ceri Tallett
- Director of Photography
- Jay Maude, Matt Maude
- Sound
- Alastair Sirkitt
- Composer
- Benji Merrison, Martin Phipps
- Principal cast
- Tony Fadell, Marc Porat, Megan Smith
- Film Image
- © Spellbound II Productions
Categories
Production Status
Production Company
US, UK coproduction
Spellbound II Productions (US), Left Eye Blind Productions (UK)
Left Eye Blind Productions
Matt Maude113 Hackney Downs Studios
London
E8 2BT
Sales Company
Cinetic Media
555 W. 25th Street, 4th FloorNew York
NY 10001
Page updates
This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.
See also
You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.
Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean
Director: Barnaby Thompson
Year: 2026
An in-depth study of David Lean, the man and his films. David Lean was one of the greatest filmmakers. He redefined what films could be, but his singular vision and tenacious determination to film the impossible earned him a reputation as an obsessive maverick. He was a master of his craft, capable of creating love and beauty on screen, but whose personal life was often troubled, uprooted, and painful. Featuring interviews with contemporary filmmakers including Wes Anderson, Paul Greengrass, Alfonso Cuarón, Celine Song, Brady Corbet, Francis Ford Coppola, Denis Villeneuve, Nia DaCosta, and Joe Wright. Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2026 - Cannes Classics - World premiere
TCB - The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing
Director: Monica Henriquez, Louis J. Massiah
Year: 2025
Structured as a series of classes in cultural organising, this film reconstructs the life of a woman whose literary works and film collaborations became a catalysing force in 20th century political movements. Toni Morrison, Nikky Finney and filmmaker Haile Gerima are among those who testify to Bambara's humour, fierce commitment to collective action and gift for galvanising artists into community work. Official Selection DOC NYC 2025 - World premiere Official SelectionTrue/False Film Festival 2026 Official Selection Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival 2026 Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2026 - European premiere
We, The Hated
Director: Rich Felgate
Year: 2026
Told through the lives and motivations of those on the frontline, WE, THE HATED turns its camera on the people behind one of the most polarising protest movements in recent memory. What emerges goes deeper than placards and road blocks: these are individuals who have weighed up the personal consequences of action against the existential stakes of inaction. With fossil fuels driving both the climate crisis and global conflict, and governments increasingly cracking down on dissent, the film raises urgent questions about protest, power and what democracy actually means in practice. Director Rich Felgate, who is in a relationship with Just Stop Oil's founder, brings an insider closeness to the story whilst retaining enough balance to speak to audiences well beyond the already converted. Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2026 - World premiere