Mac Miller‘s estate has announced a new short film to accompany the release of the late rapper’s upcoming posthumous album Balloonerism. The short film, which draws inspiration from the unreleased album, will premiere Wednesday Jan. 15 in select theaters, with general admission tickets costing $5.
Balloonerism follows a group of school friends who are, per a synopsis, “transfigured by the music of a chord organ and launched into a shadow world. Swallowed by the turtle of time, they must plod through the underbelly of adulthood.” The animated film, based on the lyrics and music of Miller, and directed by Samuel Jerome Mason, will screen in Miller’s hometown of Pittsburgh, as well as New York City.
The film will also release internationally on Jan. 16 in eight locations: Toronto, London, Paris, Melbourne, Berlin, Sydney, Dublin, and Auckland. All proceeds will go toward the Mac Miller Fund. Limited edition Balloonerism merch will also be gifted to film attendees.
Baloonerism, the album, is set to arrive on Jan. 17. When Miller’s estate announced the project last year, they said it demonstrated the rapper’s “musical talents and fearlessness as an artist.” Last week, his estate released the track list, which included features from SZA and Miller’s alter ego Delusional Thomas.
“It is a project that was of great importance to Malcolm – to the extent that he commissioned artwork for it and discussions concerning when it should be released were had regularly,” the estate said in a November post on social media, “though ultimately GO:OD AM and subsequent albums ended up taking precedence.” (Miller worked on Balloonerism during much of 2013 and 2014, and was still tinkering with it when he dropped his acclaimed mixtape Faces in 2014.)
On Thursday, Miller’s estate released “5 Dollar Pony Rides” a previously leaked track with Thundercat, Ronald Bruner Jr., and Kintaro.