Feel a Smurfy Blue on the Red Carpet: Become the Face of the Fan® and Get the Star Treatment at the World Premiere of 'The Smurfs®'

CULVER CITY, Calif., March 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Moviegoers feeling blue this summer can have the chance to be the Face of the Fan® and attend the world premiere of The Smurfs®, Columbia Pictures'/Sony Pictures Animation's highly anticipated 3D family comedy, it was announced today. The film will be released on August 3, 2011.

In the Face of the Fan contest, beginning now and through April 13, users can log on to www.faceofthefan.com and submit a 60-second video of themselves answering the question: Why should you be on the red carpet at the premiere of The Smurfs and receive star treatment?

All entries will be judged and five finalists will be chosen. The finalists will be posted in an online gallery for public voting. One winner will be chosen based on the most votes received, and the winner will receive a trip for four to New York to attend the world premiere of The Smurfs. The five finalists will each receive a Sony PS3 system with PlayStation® Move controller and PlayStation® Eye Camera. The contest is open to US residents 18 years of age or older.

Commenting on the announcement, Dwight Caines, president, Worldwide Digital Marketing for Sony Pictures, said, "The Smurfs have a legion of fans across generations. As the characters make their first 3D trip to the big screen, this Face of the Fan contest is a great opportunity for those fans to show their true colors – and that color is blue, of course. It's a great way for the Smurfs fans to stand tall – win and represent the fans on the red carpet in New York."

The Smurfs make their first 3D trip to the big screen in Columbia Pictures'/Sony Pictures Animation's hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the Smurfs out of their village, through a magical portal, and into our world, they land in the middle of New York's Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down. Directed by Raja Gosnell. The producer is Jordan Kerner. The screenplay is by J. David Stem & David N. Weiss and Jay Scherick & David Ronn from a story by J. David Stem & David N. Weiss, based on the Characters and Works of Peyo.

About the Smurfs

The story of the Smurfs - a property created by Peyo - started in 1958 with the creation of comic books which were later brought to both the big and small screen. Over the years, the little blue characters haven't just limited themselves to the page and the screen. They have inspired records and CDs that have sold millions of copies, entire collections of figurines and toys, and many more products. In all, more than 3,000 derived products have been produced and leading brands and companies have spread their messages worldwide with the help of the Smurfs. A multitude of new projects appear regularly, thus making the success of the Smurfs planetary!

About Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 140 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

About Sony Pictures Animation

Sony Pictures Animation produces a variety of animated entertainment for audiences around the world. The studio is following its 2009 worldwide hit, the mouth-watering 3D comedy Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and the 2007 Academy Award®-nominated Surf's Up with a full slate of feature films including the live-action/animation hybrid film The Smurfs (3D) and the family comedy, Hotel Transylvania (3D). The division is also in production with Aardman Animations on two feature films, the CG-animated family comedy Arthur Christmas (3D) and the stop-frame animated high-seas adventure, The Pirates! Band of Misfits (3D).Open Season 3, the third adventure in Sony Pictures Animation's successful Open Season franchise, was released on DVD and Blu-Ray January 2011. Sony Pictures Animation is an operating unit of Sony Pictures Digital Productions.

About Lafig Belgium S.A.

Lafig Belgium is the owner of the rights to produce audio-visual works based on the Smurf universe and of the Smurf worldwide licensing rights (together with IMPS). Lafig Belgium is controlled by the heirs of Pierre Culliford, better known under his pseudonym Peyo, the author/creator of the Smurfs. For 50 years, the Culliford family has controlled the Smurf characters and all licenses worldwide.

SOURCE Sony Pictures Entertainment; Sony Pictures Animation