WIND RIDERS
”Wind Riders”, a feature length documentary, focuses on the beauty of ballooning as well as the magnificence of the human spirit by telling the poignant and inspiring stories of three American balloonists who dedicate their lives to their sport. Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer Davis – two of the most renowned gas-balloon pilots in the world – risk everything to compete in a high-risk quest to defend their world title. Rounding out the portraits is Bill Hughes, a masterful solo hot-air balloon pilot, whose quiet passion transcends generations.
Emi Katayama, Writer/Director
Emi Katayama previously worked in New York on hundreds of news shows and television programs produced by major Japanese broadcaster NHK. With WIND RIDERS, she envisioned bridging genres – fiction, non-fiction, and beyond. Katayama was inspired by the iconic book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the international best-seller written by Richard Bach, which she discovered when she was a child in Japan. Decades later, her first documentary begins with hot-air balloon pilot Bill Hughes, who was so moved by the same book that he adorned his balloon with the image of seagulls in a blue sky.
Credits (full credits available on IMDB):
Executive Producers
Ramin Fathie
Michael Rosen
Producers
Emi Katayama
Cinematography
Jonathan Baudon
Art Direction
Kata Kustos
Editors
Emi Katayama
Michael Rosen
a Newborn Dreamer Films production in association with
Viceroy Films and August Road Entertainment
www.windridersfilm.com
“This brilliant documentary captures the enormous passion Richard had for ballooning. While bittersweet, it warms our hearts to see him in his element and the true happiness it brought him”
Selected by 6 International Film Festivals.
