In 1999, the unlikely duo of Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard and British flying instructor Brian Jones take on the world's leading aeronauts and billionaires in a race to become the first peopleto fly nonstop around the world in a balloon.

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STORY 

In the winter of 1999, Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard and British flight instructor Brian Jonesembark on an attempt to complete the last great aviation challenge of the 20th century – tocircumnavigate the globe, nonstop in a hot-air balloon. Rival teams are lifting off across the worldand the race is on to be the first to write their name in the history books. Working together,Piccard and Jones must overcome extreme weather conditions, survive potentially fatal technicalfailures and endure increasing mental and physical exhaustion if they want to make it.

FILMMAKER

John Dower is a British director who recently won a BAFTA for his series Lockerbie. His feature Thriller in Manila played at Sundance in 2009, went on to be BAFTA and Emmy-nominated, and won a Grierson and a Peabody. His film Bradley Wiggins: A Year In Yellow was BAFTA nominated in the Best Director category. John's other films include Live Forever, My Scientology Movie, the Netflix series Sophie – A Murder in West Cork, and The Mystery of DB Cooper, described by The Guardian as, “a real-life Twin Peaks … highly entertaining” and the Times calling it “all but flawless”.

The Royal Aeronautical Society is proud to support the UK cinema release of The Balloonists, celebrating the spirit of sustainable innovation and exploration.

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