Canon USA has launched its first photography-inspired film festival, ‘Long Live Imagination’. The leading photo camera producer has tapped influential celebrities from five diverse disciplines who will direct short films under the guidance of director Ron Howard. 

Photo: a snapshot from imagination.usa.canon.com, clickable

The celebs including Eva Longoria, Jamie Foxx, Biz Stone, Georgina Chapman and James Murphy will take part in the ‘Long Live Imagination’ campaign and photo Project Imaginat10n.

Last year, Canon and Ron Howard ran Project Imagin8ion, a contest that encouraged both professionals and amateurs to submit their most imaginative photographs based on eight elements of storytelling. 100,000 photos were submitted and eight of them were selected as winners that influenced an award-winning short film, When You Find Me, directed by Bryce Dallas Howard.

Project Imaginat10n follows the idea of the 2011 initiative and people are invited to submit their photos according to ten storytelling elements. Five of ten films that will be then produced, will be directed by the above mentioned celebs, the other five film directors will be announced later. The films will be demonstrated  at the Canon Project Imaginat10n Film Festival in 2013. More on the project can be found on its YouTube channel.

«Last year’s campaign reinforced the endless possibilities of photography, engaging the masses who entered photos at a record shattering pace to inspire a film legend, Ron Howard,» said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. «An award-winning film shot on the new Cinema EOS System was proof that creative collaboration matched with the power of Canon products can achieve great things.»