About the Film:

This film is a crime thriller/drama about the mysterious world of magic, a journey of hypnotism, heists, illusions and fun with many thrilling twists and turns.  The entire film is structured like a long form magic trick with hidden clues, symbols and meanings. The theme of the movie is the choice between love (The Queen of Hearts) and power (The Ace). The dichotomy of one man’s lust for power (Ace of Spades) and one man’s loyalty to love (Queen of Hearts) propels our lead into a labyrinth of traversing a heart torn in two.  It’s a battle between traditional magic vs digital magic as a Magician and the Artist (a crooked businessman) team up for a heist that turns into a magic trick and an illusion onto itself.

Director Biography:

Robert Rippberger is a filmmaker with a broad array of creative and executive experience. He most recently directed and produced the Harlem drama, ‘Strive,’ with Danny Glover released theatrically and through AMC’s Urban Movie Channel, as well as the war on drugs documentary, ‘Public Enemy Number One’ from Executive Producer Ice-T.

In 2016, Robert directed/produced the documentary “7 Days in Syria,” a look at the human side of the war in Aleppo. The film was championed by Angelina Jolie, screened at Britain’s House of Lords, to senior members of the U.N., and was released on Hulu and Amazon.

Robert went on to executive produce with Jason Blum the feature doc, “Alive & Kicking.” The film was sold to Magnolia Films after its debut at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival where it received a Grand Jury nomination. The film is available on Netflix.

In 2006, Robert formed the production company SIE Films, a philosophy term used to describe a disclosing of truth, with a view to make entertaining and impactful films for mass audiences. He was the 2012 recipient of the Dan Eldon Activist Award.

Robert received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from UC, Berkeley in 2012 where he was awarded the Eisner Prize for his film “In the Middle.” It is considered the highest achievement in the creative arts given on the UC, Berkeley campus. Across animation, documentaries, features, music videos, and commercials, Robert has extensive experience from development to delivery throughout North America and Europe. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America and is on the PGA’s Social Impact Entertainment Task Force. In addition to SIE Films, Robert is also president of FinalMation Studios, an animation studio founded with Ice-T and others.