Nokia Names Finalists in the 'Your Chicago, Your Neighborhood' Film Competition

Nokia Names Finalists in the 'Your Chicago, Your Neighborhood' Film Competition

- Five Chicagoland Film Students Vie for $10,000 Prize, Winner to Be Announced at Nokia Flagship Store Celebration -

CHICAGO, June 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As part of the grand opening festivities for the first Nokia Flagship Store in the United States, Nokia today announced the five finalists in its 'Your Neighborhood, Your Chicago' short film contest. On the evening of June 21st, during a private gala event celebrating the Chicago Nokia Flagship Store, the winner of this contest will be announced and awarded a $10,000 prize.

Launched earlier this year, Nokia recruited aspiring film students from colleges and universities in and around Chicago to shoot three to five minute films that reflected the theme 'Your Neighborhood, Your Chicago'. Selected on the basis of a sampling of their prior work, 20 semi-finalists were selected and equipped with Nokia N90 wireless devices to create their short film. Of these 20 finalists, five finalists were chosen by a panel of experts. The ultimate winner will be selected by actor and Chicago native Jeff Garlin, best known for his roles in HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and Fox TV's "Arrested Development" among others.

"Even though Nokia is a global company, we strive to become an integral part of the markets in which we operate. With our first Nokia Flagship Store in the United States, we wanted to take this tradition even further, and become part of Chicago's great tradition of unique neighborhoods. This was the genesis of the 'Your Neighborhood, Your Chicago' project," said Cliff Crosbie, director of global retail and trade marketing for Nokia. "By having local students capture the sights and sounds of this great city on wireless devices, we are demonstrating just one of the ways that Nokia is allowing people to take their lives mobile. We invite everybody in Chicago and across the United States to visit our new Nokia Flagship Store and see for themselves how today's wireless products and services can do the same for their individual passions."

The five finalists include:

Eric Bednarowicz, Columbia College Chicago -- Eric's film is a truly unique take on the challenge, illustrating that "his Chicago" was not about the place, but the people in that place. He captured six friends growing up in Chicago, and even though they have each gone their separate ways, their friendship is preserved forever within the sights of the city. Eric is a native of Chicago.

Brian Cagle, Northwestern University -- This short film is a bike tour of downtown Chicago. The sights and sounds of the city are carefully choreographed with a soundtrack to create the feel that the city is keeping time to the music. Brian's hometown is Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Toshinora Iga, Columbia College Chicago -- A love story set in Chicago, the story begins near Lake Michigan, and the tale of young love, and the fear of losing that love, is told while being illustrated by Chicago's landmarks. Toshinora's hometown is Nagoya, Japan.

Kunal Savkar, Northwestern University -- Kunal's film tells the story of his adventure shortly after he moved from India to the Chicago suburb of Lisle. His older brother tells him about a fountain located in the city that sprays liquid gold. While searching for this mythical treasure, he rides the 'El' into Chicago, and while he never finds the gold in the fountain, he discovers other treasures in the form of Chicago landmarks.

Aziza Walker, Northwestern University -- In this film, Aziza introduces the viewer to the rhythm of suburban Evanston. Images of girls dancing in the streets, city workers and bike-riding local boys are interwoven into a compelling documentary of a neighborhood. Aziza is originally from Los Angeles.

About Nokia

Nokia (NYSE:NOK) is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations. http://www.nokia.com/

Contact:
Nokia Americas
Media Relations
972-894-4573
communication.corp@nokia.com

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040130/NOKIALOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Nokia Corporation

CONTACT: Media Relations of Nokia Americas, +1-972-894-4573, or
communication.corp@nokia.com

Web site: http://www.nokia.com/

-------
Profile: intent