Ricky Jay Documentary to premiere in New York

A new documentary chronicling the life and “deceptive practices” of Ricky Jay, one of our eras greatest magicians, and certainly the most eclectic, will premiere at this years New York Film Festival. Jay’s performances in 52 Assistance and On The Stem were inspirational to our own edification in the art. We admire him as a historian and entertainer and look forward to learning more about him in Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay, from Molly Bernstein and Alan Edelstein.

From The Film Society of Lincoln Center

“Few lives seem to have been as preordained as that of Ricky Jay. At the tender age of four he was already learning sleight-of-hand from his beloved grandfather, Max, an amateur magician. By seven, he was performing before audiences, and as he grew up he received lessons, advice and encouragement from many of the true giants of magic: Al Flosso, Slydini, Cardini, Francis Carlyle, and Roy Benson. So it’s little wonder that, now in his sixties, Ricky Jay is widely considered the world’s greatest magician, a performer whose one-man shows draw rave reviews and sold-out houses. Molly Bernstein and Alan Edelstein’s warm and fascinating portrait of Jay offers a rare glimpse into the very private world of professional magicians, an entertainment tradition that stretches back hundreds of years and yet continues to delight and astonish contemporary audiences around the world.”