EXCLUSIVE: As Sundance kicks off, Dogwoof has taken UK and Irish rights on The Balloonists, John Dower’s (Lockerbie) documentary about the first two men to fly around the world in a balloon.
The doc follows the unlikely duo of Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard and British flying instructor Brian Jones as they take on the world’s leading aeronauts and billionaires in the race to become the first in 1999. Drawn from contrasting backgrounds, success would mean entirely different things for the two aeronauts. As they fly at hundreds of kilometres per hour, 30,000 feet in the air over oceans and storm clouds, where the smallest error could prove fatal, the success of the mission depends on the teamwork of this partnership.
The film had its world premiere at TIFF last year. It is produced by Oscar-winning Icarus maker Rise Films in association with and co-financed by Anonymous Content and Red Bull Studios. Dogwoof and Rise recently partnered on Oscar-nominated doc All That Breathes.
Dogwoof Chief Content Officer Oli Harbottle said: “The Balloonists offers a hugely fun and enjoyable ride with its tale of adventure, passion and, ultimately, friendship. With its quirky cast of characters, John Dower has delivered a true crowd-pleaser and we’re looking forward to bringing the film to UK audiences in the Spring.”
The deal was brokered by Harbottle with Nick Shumaker of Anonymous and Sebastian Burkhardt for Red Bull Studios. Teddy Leifer and Guy Horlock of Studio TF1-owned Rise Films produced The Balloonists, with David Levine, Jessica Grimshaw and Nick Shumaker serving as executive producers for Anonymous Content, and Charlotte Cheung, Georg Aschauer, Philipp Manderla executive producers for Red Bull Studios.
