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Rubber Jellyfish The balloon documentary

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Press kit

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If you are interested in doing a story on Rubber Jellyfish, we would love to hear from you. Send an email as a first point of contact if you need an interview.

Everything below is cleared for editorial use. See also the list of outlets that have already featured the story, and the sourced science on The Issue.

Brief synopsis

We all know that throwing rubbish on the ground is littering, so why is letting a balloon float away seen as something different? Rubber Jellyfish is a feature-length documentary that explores the effects of helium balloons on the environment, wildlife and human beings. Mum-to-be Carly Wilson sets out on a personal journey to meet key players on all sides in the fight to ban balloons, and exposes the confronting truth behind our favourite party product. As she travels around Australia and explores problems around the world, seeking to understand the science and the various points of view, Carly discovers a range of issues, from the heartbreaking impact on sea turtles to the potentially deadly effect of helium on children. Her journey takes her from littered beaches to the capital, as she speaks to businesses and politicians to find out why the balloon problem is being ignored and if something can be done.

Story ideas

  • “Helium balloons – harmless party decorations or dangerous ocean predators?”
  • “Biodegradable balloons – fact or fiction?”
  • “Pacific Northwest native making change with an Australian documentary about balloon release ceremonies”

For Carly’s full biography, see Meet the Filmmaker.

Photographs

Use any of these with or without the captions. Please credit the owners where indicated. Select an image to open the full-resolution file.

  • Dozens of burst balloons in jellyfish shapes sorted across a table.
    Helium balloons that have burst into the characteristic jellyfish shape, all collected on the nesting beach of a population of critically endangered loggerhead sea turtles on the Sunshine Coast. Photo courtesy of Larissa McCollin.
  • Burst balloons laid out on sand after a beach collection.
    When helium balloons are released, either accidentally or as part of a ritual, they travel all the way to the blackness of near space and burst into these jellyfish shapes.
  • A crowd at an outdoor ceremony watching dozens of coloured balloons rise into the sky.
    Balloon release ceremonies have become a popular way to memorialise people who have passed away.
  • A dead grey-headed albatross with the red balloon fragments and ribbon recovered from its stomach laid out beside its beak.
    An endangered grey-headed albatross that died after ingesting a red balloon in the characteristic jellyfish shape. Photo courtesy of Lauren Roman.
  • A carer on a boat holding a green sea turtle that is receiving treatment.
    A green sea turtle in care after ingesting a balloon. Photo courtesy of Blair Witherington.
  • Carly Wilson interviewing a balloon retailer in his shop, surrounded by foil balloons and party supplies.
    In Rubber Jellyfish, Carly meets people fighting for and against the interests of the balloon industry.
  • Portrait of filmmaker Carly Wilson, photographed outdoors in front of tropical greenery.
    Carly Wilson is the creator of Rubber Jellyfish, a documentary about the surprising effects of helium balloons on sea turtle populations.