Published on May 31, 2014
Mumbai:According to the GATS Survey (2009-10), India has 275 million tobacco users. To tackle this deadly addiction, it is important that smokers realize the perils of tobacco usage and make a firm resolve to quit. Towards this end, Nicorette partnered with Talenthouse India SEA’s leading creative crowd sourcing platform and launched a short film contest, titled ‘Amazing Happens Together’.
The contest invited budding and prominent directors to create a 45-90 second film that inspires, motivates and strikes the right chord with smokers, thereby urging them to quit. The storylines were created in an attempt to leave behind a lasting impression not only on those aspiring to quit but also to keep the morale high amidst those who have already quit. The contest began on April 28, and concluded on May 15.Within a span of few days, a large number of entries were received as the contest saw enthusiastic filmmakers submit 31 short films.
To commemorate World No Tobacco Day, winning filmmakers from the contest will be gratified on May 31. The winning entry by Ruchir Arun, depicted the innocence of a child to deter her father from smoking. The filmmaker from Mumbai who is an alumni of FTII (Film & Television Institute of India), Pune will receive a grand prize of Rs. 1,00,000 followed by special prize of Rs. 10,000 to the runners-up Arun Culas, Tanuj Bhatia and Unnikrishnan Nair for their outstanding work. The winning films will be showcased on Nicorette’s Facebook page and Nicorette’s YouTube Channelin order toshowcase the films to a wider audience.
Speaking about the idea behind this initiative, Dinar Mhatre, General Marketing Manager, Johnson & Johnson Ltd. said, “While quitting smoking is hard, it is not impossible. A simple shift in attitude caused by a strong realization can go a long way in helping a smoker make a fresh and firm resolve to quit. We thank Talenthouse for helping us put this ideology into action and the support they provided in garnering such an encouraging response. We feel confident that these inspirational and thought-provoking films will succeed in inspiring smokers to quit. Our aim is to continue supporting smokers with fresh and unique ways, as well as feasible platforms to quit.”
On partnering with Nicorette India for this initiative, Mr. Arun Mehra, CEO, Talenthouse India said, “We take pride in being associated with Nicorette with the launch of the initiative ‘Amazing Happens Together’ to bring young people together for a cause. We at Talenthouse stand strong for providing creative opportunities to aspiring artists and with this initiative we are glad to act as a catalyst and bring about a permanent positive change in their lives.”
Source: Lokesh Shastri