Every year at CinemaCon (Comic-Con for theater owners), the movie studios premiere footage from some of their biggest upcoming films.  While I saw a lot of great looking movies, without a doubt, one of the highlights was Ben Stiller's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.   In the film, Stiller stars as the eponymous LIFE Magazine photo editor/negative asset manager who, incapable of standing up for himself in the real world, retreats to a fantasy where he becomes his poised, confident opposite.  On his quests, he seeks to find a missing image taken by a photographer played by Sean Penn.  The movie stars Kristen Wiig as his love interest, and Adam Scott, Shirley MacLaine, Patton Oswalt, and Kathryn Hahn.  While Stiller is known for his great work behind the camera on Tropic Thunder and Zoolander, Walter Mitty is definitely his most adult work to date and the footage I viewed show heart, humor and restraint.  Look for this to be an Awards contender at the end of the year.

To help promote the film, 20th Century Fox has teamed up with Shutterfly and they've just launched the Walter Mitty Photo Experience, "a national search for photos that exemplify the essence of life."  For info on the experience and how you can win a trip through Delta vacations, professional photography equipment from Fuji Film, and more.  Hit the jump.

Before going any further, if you haven't seen the awesome looking trailer for Walter Mitty, I'd definitely watch that first.

walter-mitty-shutterfly

Here's the press release with all key info.  If you're good at taking pictures, you should probably enter.

SHUTTERFLY AND 20TH CENTURY FOX LAUNCH THE WALTER MITTY PHOTO EXPERIENCE IN SEARCH OF PHOTOS THAT EXHIBIT THE ESSENCE OF LIFE

Shutterfly, Inc.,the market leader in digital personalized photo products and services, in partnership with 20th Century Fox, today announced the launch of the Walter Mitty Photo Experience, a national search for photos that exemplify the essence of life in celebration of the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, in theaters December 25. This experience asks users to pause and take notice of the wonder of their own work; to look for the photos that define the beauty of (their) life, and to share them with a larger community.

Beginning today, users can be a part of this engaging photo experience, by visiting www.shutterfly.com/waltermitty and sharing their photos in three month-long entry phases; Travel, Dreams and Adventure. Three top images will be chosen from each phase, making it to the semi-finals and eventually a finalist round where a panel of judges will vote for the winning photo, announced in conjunction with the premiere of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty in December 2013. The winner will receive professional photography equipment from Fuji Film and a chance to travel the world with Delta Vacations, enabling the winner to further realize the dream of capturing their life’s travels and dreams through photography.*

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a soulful film with a rich narrative," said Heather Maddan, Shutterfly Chief Storyteller.  "The themes of travel, dreams and adventure emerge in this beautiful story, creating a wonderful platform to engage those who wish to share the world they see through those lenses.”

"We are excited to be partnering with Shutterfly to launch this Photo Experience as an interactive and engaging way for fans to create a community around The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," said Zachary Eller, senior vice president, marketing partnerships & promotions at 20th Century Fox. "Moviegoers who are inspired by the film can share the extraordinary and incredible moments from their own lives."

Ben Stiller directs and stars in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, James Thurber's classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job, along with that of his co-worker (Kristen Wiig), are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.

About Shutterfly

Shutterfly is the market leader in digital personalized photo products and services. Shutterfly helps customers turn their precious memories into lasting keepsakes with its award-winning photo books, personalized holiday cards, announcements, invitations, and stationery, as well as custom home décor products and unique photo gifts including iPhone cases and water bottles. The company currently serves millions of customers who benefit from free, unlimited secure storage and a 100 percent happiness guarantee. For more information about Shutterfly visit www.shutterfly.com.

Shutterfly is part of the Shutterfly, Inc. family of brands which includes: ShutterflyTiny PrintsWedding Paper Divas and Treat. For more information on Shutterfly, Inc. visit www.shutterfly.com.

About 20TH Century Fox

One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, 20th Century Fox produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.

* For full contest rules & details, please visit www.shutterfly.com/waltermitty