Log in
Balloonfest

Balloonfest

2017 · 7 min · ★ 7.0 · History, Documentary

Mid-Missouri cult hero Nathan Truesdell sifts through a Cleveland TV station's archives and unearths a fancy wrist watch, blistered fingers and other casualties of a misbegotten exercise in civic pride. In September 1986, the city of Cleveland attempted to set a special record: the simultaneous launch of 1.5 million balloons. But fate intervened, and the result was both crazier and more tragic than anyone could have imagined.

Directed by Nathan Truesdell

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Night Flight Plus

Rent or Buy

Apple TV Store

Make it a double feature

1h 44m together

Balloonfest

Ascension

Both from Nathan Truesdell.

More from Nathan TruesdellSee all →

Balloon BoyBalloon Boy · 2023
Balloon Boy
★ 10.02023
MovieDocumentary
On October 15, 2009, America watched with rapt attention a large balloon float through the skies of Colorado on live TV
AscensionAscension · 2021
Ascension
★ 6.92021
MovieDocumentary
The film explores the pursuit of the “Chinese Dream.” Driven by mesmerizing—and sometimes humorous—imagery, this observational documentary presents a contemporary vision of China that prioritizes productivity and innovation above all.
You're NextYou're Next · 2013
You're Next
★ 6.62013
MovieHorrorThriller
When the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of their victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.
It's Coming!It's Coming! · 2020
It's Coming!
★ 6.02020
MovieDocumentary
In Las Vegas, they show the sex dolls; in China, they make them.
DeprogrammedDeprogrammed · 2015
Deprogrammed
★ 5.72015
MovieDocumentary
Ted "Black Lightning" Patrick's practice of "deprogramming," also known as "reverse brainwashing," started in the early 1970s and quickly snowballed into a vast underground movement composed of concerned parents, ex-cultists-turned-deprogrammers and some sympathetic law-enforcers whose mission was to physically and mentally remove individuals from cults.
Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec MummyMil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy · 2007
Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy
★ 5.32007
MovieHorrorScience Fiction
A resurrected Aztec mummy conspires to manipulate men of power for world domination. Whether Mil Mascaras can be corrupted by the influence of his undead adversary is not clear, but the answer hinges upon the secret of his mask -- a mask which has been passed down to him from his ancestors since time in memoriam.
Academy of DoomAcademy of Doom · 2008
Academy of Doom
★ 4.62008
MovieActionHorror
ACADEMY OF DOOM is set on the campus of the famous Mil Mascaras Wrestling Women's Academy. The Academy finds itself the focus of seemingly disparate events involving the villainous Luctor; an eccentric Baron; and a series of bizarre murders. The most famous figure at the academy, La Torcha, joins forces with Mil Mascaras to unravel the mystery and ensure that justice prevails.
A DerailmentA Derailment · 2026
A Derailment
2026
MovieDocumentary
At 8:55 PM on February 3, 2023, a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Told entirely through found footage and news archive, A DERAILMENT puts you in the center of disaster. As local news coverage and publicly circulated footage unfold in real time, the film reveals not only the immediate catastrophe but the deepening crisis that followed—raising urgent questions about oversight, accountability, and the failures that allowed it to escalate.
Mystery SeedsMystery Seeds · 2025
Mystery Seeds
2025
MovieDocumentary
After thousands of mysterious packages sow the seeds of a xenophobic conspiracy, we track its growth through local news, internet detectives, and your online shopping history.
The Water SlideThe Water Slide · 2018
The Water Slide
2018
MovieDocumentary
At nearly 169 feet tall, Verrückt was taller than Niagara Falls. Riders flew down the world's tallest water slide at 70 miles per hour, challenging the laws of physics. Then, on August 7, 2016, 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was decapitated on the ride. What went wrong to cause such a horrific tragedy?
8:08 - How We Respond8:08 - How We Respond · 2019
8:08 - How We Respond
2019
MovieDocumentary
A snapshot of how people process and respond to crisis, choosing to do so looking into a camera.
When the LAPD Blows Up Your NeighborhoodWhen the LAPD Blows Up Your Neighborhood · 2022
When the LAPD Blows Up Your Neighborhood
2022
MovieDocumentary
Tensions rise on a busy street as news organizations and local residents witness an extremely volatile situation turn into a literal powder keg.

More Like This

CamerapersonCameraperson · 2016
Cameraperson
★ 6.72016
MovieDocumentary
As a visually radical memoir, CAMERAPERSON draws on the remarkable footage that filmmaker Kirsten Johnson has shot and reframes it in ways that illuminate moments and situations that have personally affected her. What emerges is an elegant meditation on the relationship between truth and the camera frame, as Johnson transforms scenes that have been presented on Festival screens as one kind of truth into another kind of story—one about personal journey, craft, and direct human connection.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter