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Balloon (2019 American film)

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Balloon
Official film poster
Directed byJeremy Merrifield
Screenplay byJeremy Merrifield
Dave Testa
Produced byChristina Cha
Starring
CinematographyFrances Kroon
Edited byBowei Yue
Music byAli Helnwein
Production
companies
AFI Conservatory
Dream Three Films
Release date
Running time
16 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Balloon is a 2019 American short coming-of-age fantasy drama film written and directed by Jeremy Merrifield and produced by Dream Three Films as Merrifield's thesis for the completion of his studies at the AFI Conservatory.[1][2][3] It stars Jonah Beres and Paul Scheer and explores gender stereotypes and toxic masculinity associated with boyhood.[4][5][6]

Balloon premiered at AFI on February 28, 2019 and bean its film festival run at the Palm Springs International ShortFest that year.[7] The film qualified for the Oscars by winning the Grand Prix at HollyShorts Film Festival in 2019[8][9] and was nominated for a Student Academy Award.[5] The short film won both Best Drama Series and The Seymour Bricker Humanitarian Award at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation’s 40th annual College Television Awards.[10]

Plot

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Junior high schooler, Sam Wheeler, wants to do nothing more than keep his head down, get through the day, and hang out with his friend Adam. All of that changes in the aftermath of a fight with Jason Kingsley as their classmates continuously share a recording of the fight online and send Sam derisive digital messages. As a consequence, Adam, too, begins to pull away. While Sam is still trying to suppress the rage, he discovers he has a latent super-ability. Backed into a corner and possessing the power to do something about it, the fate of Sam’s future hangs in the balance of his choice.[11][5]

Cast

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  • Paul Scheer as Officer Hart
  • Jonah Beres as Sam Wheeler
  • Jaylin Ogle as Adam
  • Carson Severson as Jason Kingsley
  • David Gurrola as Tyson
  • Bianca Lopez as Ms. Brody
  • Logan Kishi as Marcus
  • Danny Greer as Avery
  • Amory Watterson as Cara
  • Isabella Rogers as Lindsay
  • Kaliyah Smith as Sabrina
  • Marik Knight as Kevin
  • Antonio Gianni as Alex
  • Jacy King as Connie Wheeler
  • Eric Tiede as Derek Wheeler
  • Jim Hanna as Coach Colella
  • Derion Graham as Ethan
  • Matthew Garbacz as Mike
  • Jaydyn Price as Timothy
  • Farheem Williams as Nikolas
  • Danielle Mercado as Mel
  • Thomas Hollow as Spartan Student

Reception

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IndieWire compared the film to Joker, saying where that film "explores the genesis of a villain," Balloon "depicts the making of a hero," while describing it as "emotionally vivid and delicately rendered" and calling it "a timely critique of the superhero mythos, offering an alternative world that prizes softness and sensitivity over brute strength." The Independent Critic called Balloon "one of the best short films of 2019."[12][6]

Accolades

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Year Presenter/Festival Award/Ceremony Status
2020 College Television Awards Best Drama Series Won[10]
Seymour Bricker Humanitarian Award Won[10]
2019 HollyShorts Film Festival Grand Prix (Oscar Qualifying) Won[13]
2019 New Orleans Film Festival Audience Award / Jury Special Mention Won[14]
2019 Napa Valley Film Festival Best Narrative Short Won[15]
2019 Student Academy Awards Best Narrative (Domestic) Nominated[5]
2019 Palm Springs International Short Fest Best Student Short Nominated[7]
2019 American Society of Cinematographers Heritage Award Nominated[16]

References

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  1. ^ "BALLOON | Dream Three Films". Dream Three. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  2. ^ "Balloon by Jeremy Merrifield | Drama". Directors Notes. 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  3. ^ "5 Things I Learned While Making My AFI Thesis Film". No Film School. 2019-08-23. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  4. ^ ""BALLOON" Is A Vital Exploration Of Toxic Masculinity". What We Seee. 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  5. ^ a b c d Davidson, Douglas (2019-08-27). "Watch the birth of a modern superhero in 2019 Student Academy Award nominee short film "Balloon"". Elements of Madness. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  6. ^ a b "The Independent Critic - "Balloon" is One of the Best Short Films of 2019". www.theindependentcritic.com. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  7. ^ a b "Balloon | Palm Springs International Film Festival". www.psfilmfest.org. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  8. ^ "Balloon by Jeremy Merrifield | Drama Short Film". Short of the Week. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  9. ^ "Meet the 2019 Student Academy Awards Finalists". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2019-08-08. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  10. ^ a b c Hipes, Patrick (2020-05-31). "40th College Television Awards Winners Unveiled". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  11. ^ "Altruistic Models, Recovering Veterans, Looney Tunes and More at TheWrap's Short Film Showcase". TheWrap. 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  12. ^ Dry, Jude (2019-10-15). "Queer Short With Oscar Prospects Tackles Toxic Masculinity and Parallels 'Joker' — Watch". IndieWire. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  13. ^ "'Balloon,' 'The Orphan' and 'Sister' Win Oscar-Qualifying Awards at HollyShorts Film Festival". TheWrap. 2019-08-18. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  14. ^ "#NOFF2019 Audience Award Winners Announced". New Orleans Film Society. 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  15. ^ "2019 Napa Valley Film Festival Announces Festival Award Winners". NVFF • NOV 10 - 14. 2019-11-17. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  16. ^ "ASC Selects 2019 Student Heritage Awards Nominees - The American Society of Cinematographers". theasc.com. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
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