Each year, Balloon Fiesta welcomes and works with members of the media during the event from all media platforms, including broadcast, print, photography, and digital media. These members embark on the exciting challenge of showcasing the vibrant colors, dynamic movements, and magical moments that define this iconic event.
In this month’s Inside the Basket, Jake Nuñez-Boger, a digital creator and one of the Executive Producers and the Director of Photography for the documentaty “Winged Canvas: The Journey of Women Balloonists”, shares more about the captivating documentary, his favorite moments while filming for this project, his experience at the 52nd Balloon Fiesta, and advice for media attending this year’s event!
1. Tell us about the “Winged Canvas: The Journey of Women Balloonists” documentary.
Winged Canvas: The Journey of Women Balloonists is a documentary about the extraordinary women who make the sport of ballooning so special. To the stories of early pioneers like Sophia Blanchard to our interviews with modern-day living legend Beth Wright-Smith, Kelli Cook, Kendra Mesmer, and Marissa Villa and others to tell the amazing stories of these trailblazing women in their own words.
2. What was your inspiration for this film?
Ever since I can remember, Balloon Fiesta and ballooning have been a big part of my life growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It really took off when my childhood best friend invited me to crew for her and her partner while I was in CNM’s film program with our writer, Jadie Griego, camera operator Victor Baldonado, and director Triston Garcia, the idea for a documentary solely about ballooning was born.
Our first interview happened to be with a female pilot, and we learned that out of 628 registered pilots that year, only 94 were women, or just about 20%. After that, we knew we had to pivot and tell the stories of these remarkable women who push ahead in the sport and competition of ballooning!
Our goal is to inspire young women to believe that even in a male-dominated world, they can succeed-just like the amazing women featured in this documentary, whom I thank with all my heart.
3. What was your favorite moment while filming this project?
I definitely have to say I have two of them. My first favorite moment while filming was getting to fly with one of the pilots we interviewed — the amazing and spectacular Kelli Cook. She took me on my second-ever balloon ride out of Balloon Fiesta Park on the last Friday of the 2024 event, just before we interviewed her. It’s an experience I will forever hold dear because she helped me conquer my fear of flying and inspired me to want to pursue a pilot’s license myself.
My second has to be interviewing my childhood best friend, Marissa Villa, who has been by my side since we were 10 years old, who just happens to be the only certified Balloon Repair (wo)man in the State of New Mexico. It was a beautiful and emotional moment for both of us, truly something we will remember for the rest of our lives.
4. How did you approach capturing the spirit, energy, and essence of Balloon Fiesta in this documentary?
To truly capture the spirit of Balloon Fiesta, I focused on telling stories from the ground up — through the eyes of the pilots, the crew, the spectators, and the amazing community of people that makes it all possible. I aimed to balance the vibrancy of what’s going on in the sky along with the emotional heartbeat of Fiesta: the passion, tradition, and joy it brings to people of all ages. For me, this documentary is a thank-you letter to the sport, the event, and most importantly, the people who make it all possible.
5. What advice do you have for media attending this year’s event?
Honestly, other than bringing a couple of spare batteries, plenty of extra SD cards, and putting your camera bag by your car keys, my main advice is to just have fun. It moves a lot faster than you realize it does, so it’s easy to get caught up in treating it like “just another shoot,” but in reality, it’s so much more. Take more than enough pictures but also stop and take it in: have a breakfast burrito with chile that’s way too hot, trade pins, try to collect all the cards you can, talk to the pilots, chat with spectators! Overall, just be a part of the community that makes Balloon Fiesta such a special time of year!