Indiantelevision.com Team

(23 August 2006 8:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Columbia Pictures in the US is partnering with eight companies for a promotion The Pursuit of Happyness 'Pursue It' The Ultimate Internship Contest.

The aim is to promote the upcoming Will Smith film The Pursuit of Happyness. In india the film will be released by Sony Pictures Releasing of India early next year.

In the US contestants will compete for internships at Yahoo!, NBC Gap, The Hollywood Reporter, Morgan Stanley, National Football League (NFL), People Magazine and PlayStation.

In addition to the internship position, each winner also will win a trip to the Hollywood premiere of the film which also stars Will Smith's son in real life who plays his son in the film and Thandie Newton. Winners will have the opportunity to meet Smith and
enjoy the gala evening with the film's cast.

Based on a true story the film stars Will Smith as Chris Gardner, a marginally employed salesman who finds himself with nowhere to go after he and his five-year-old son (Jaden Christopher Syre
Smith) are evicted from their San Francisco apartment. When Gardner lands an internship at a prestigious brokerage firm, he and his son endure
numerous hardships as he struggles to create a better life for the two of them.

The Pursuit of Happyness is the story of one father's inspiring love for his son and his determination and drive to improve their future. There is already talk in Hollywood that if the film is as good as it sounds then it might be Oscar nominated. After all the Academy loves inspirational true stories like A Beautiful Mind.

Till 30 October, 2006 contestants can visit
the site www.sony.com/Pursue-It and choose the company at which they would like to intern. As part of the online application process, entrants will need to create a video of themselves, in which they share, in five minutes or less, their own personal motto or 'words to live by' giving examples of how this philosophy makes them uniquely qualified to work at
the company they have chosen.

The leading candidates' videos for each internship as determined by a leading human resource specialist will be posted on the contest website. The public will then be invited to vote for the applicant they believe is best suited for each position. Officials at each of the eight companies will interview the top two finalists applying for their respective
internships and select the ultimate winners.

Contestants are encouraged to learn as much as possible about the company for whose program they are applying and to tailor their video presentation accordingly. Each of the internship programmes has its own eligibility requirements which are posted, along with complete contest rules at the site.

Smith says," "Chris Gardner, the person I portray in The Pursuit of Happyness is a bright, talented guy who's barely making ends meet until he gets an
internship that enables him to pursue his dreams," The film releases in the US 10 days before Christmas 15 December 2006..