Festival Attendees Can Enter the "Frame Your Imagin8ion" Sweepstakes for a Chance to Win a Canon Rebel T3i DSLR Camera
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y./AUSTIN, TX March, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, will host private screenings of "when you find me," produced by two-time Academy Award® winner Ron Howard, and directed by his versatile daughter Bryce Dallas Howard at the SXSW® Film Conference and Festival. The screenings will be held on Friday, March 9th at 5:00pm, Sunday, March 11th at 4:30pm and Monday, March 12th at 11:00am at the branded Canon Imagination Screening Room at The Long Center located at 701 West Riverside Drive, Austin, TX. Festival attendees interested in attending the screenings can do so with a Film, Gold or Platinum badge, and non-badge holders can also obtain tickets at the designated Canon brand location at The Driskill Hotel.
To coincide with the duration of the festival, consumers across the country will also be able to view the short film online, which is the final product of "Project Imagin8ion," the first user-generated photo contest to inspire a Hollywood film. The online screening will be accessible from Thursday, March 8th at 6:00pm EST until Monday, March 19th at 12:00pm EST, at www.youtube.com/imagination.
After receiving nearly 100,000 submissions, eight winning photos were chosen by Ron Howard, setting thestage for his production. The film "when you find me," shot using Canon cameras including the new Cinema EOS System and DSLR cameras and lenses, tells the story of two sisters whose childhood bond is tested by a tragedy they are too young to understand. Alternating between the past and present, the short film is an emotional fable of two people coping with loss in very different ways and what it takes to find peace within yourself and reconciliation with the ones you love. The SXSW screenings and second online screening window will include the "Project Imagin8ion Making Of" movie, which provides a behind-the-scenes look at the project's journey. One lucky viewer from each of the SXSW screenings will also win a Canon ELPH Camera.
"As we distribute the film to select festivals, we are able to engage in dialogue about the accessibility and usability of Canon technologies and the evolving world of photography with filmmakers and amateur and professional photographers alike," said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.
Festival attendees in Austin will also be able to tap into the inspiration of "Project Imagin8ion" with the "Frame Your Imagin8ion" sweepstakes for the chance to win a Canon Rebel T3i DSLR camera. Street teams will be dispersed throughout the festival, handing out special "Project Imagin8ion" picture frames to encourage consumers to capture photos that best represent each of the eight movie themes that were featured in the "Project Imagin8ion" contest, such as Setting, Character, and Relationship. The Canon street teams will also be carrying life size frames to showcase the power of the imagination.
Consumers can upload their photo at designated Canon locations and one sweepstakes winner will be chosen each day. The Driskill Hotel photo upload will be open Friday, March 9th until Saturday, March 17th from 9:00am-7:00pm at 604 Brazos Street. The Canon Lounge at The Long Center will be open for photo upload on Friday, March 9th from 5:00pm-12:00am and Saturday, March 10th through Wednesday, March 14th from 11:00am-12:00am at 701 West Riverside Drive. Both locations will also feature a photo gallery showcasing some of the 96,362 entries in the "Project Imagin8ion" contest, including the semi-finalists, finalists and grand prize winner photographs. Complete rules are available at the kiosks.
The Canon experience at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival is coordinated by Canon U.S.A.'s agency of record, Grey NY and Alliance, the entertainment and lifestyle marketing division.