Created in 1998, the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker's Award is an award given out to the student filmmaker - or pair of student filmmakers as of 2017 - who wins the annual Coca-Cola Refreshing Films contest. In the contest, current students or recent graduates from participating film schools across the United States submit entries of original scripts following specific themes provided each year by the contest organizers. However, all scripts are meant to highlight how Coca-Cola serves as an integral part of the movie-going experience. Fifteen semifinalist scripts are selected by a group of judges who then provide feedback, and the semifinalist teams rework their scripts and create storyboards. As of the 2022 edition of the contest, four finalist scripts are then chosen, and the student filmmakers receive $18,000 to produce their films along with behind-the-scenes footage. A panel of industry professionals known as the "Red Ribbon Panel" judge the films on the categories of creativity, entertainment value, and creative fit to theme and tone. The highest scoring film is declared the winner of the contest and is shown in select theater locations nationwide (specifically AMC and Cinemark locations as of the 2022 contest).
Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker's Award Winners
Since its inception in 1998, twenty-two student filmmakers or pairs of student filmmakers have won the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker's Award (the number of winners is lower than the number of years since the beginning of the contest due to the absence of the contest in 2015 and 2021). Notable winners include bestselling author and director of Fanboys and Barely Lethal Kyle Newman and Emmy Award winning director Josh Greenbaum. Many winners have gone on to write, direct and produce feature films or series for major brands or platforms.
Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker's Award Winning Schools
Students from ten different schools have won the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker's Award out of the twenty-two contests that have been held. The schools that have produced the highest number of winning films are the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern California. University of California, Los Angeles won in 2001 and 2008 in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition and in 2012 and 2014 in the rebranded Sprite Films competition. University of Southern California won in 1999, 2007, 2009 and 2010. Two schools have managed to win the contest in two consecutive years: the University of Southern California in 2009 and 2010, and the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2019 and 2020. While Elon University won twice during the four-year period in which the program was renamed Sprite Films, it has not won during one of the contests labelled Coca-Cola Refreshing Films. The first ever winning school was the University of Southern California and the most recent winning school was the Savannah College of Art and Design.
The years in italics indicate a win during the period in which the program was renamed Sprite Films.
Coca-Cola Refreshing Films Participating Schools
The 2022 edition of the contest features 40 total participating schools, including two schools (the New York Film Academy and Savannah College of Art and Design) which are participating with multiple different campuses. The initial application, including the first draft of the film's script and budget, was due on Friday, October 22, 2021, and participants were required to apply as a team of two students who were currently enrolled at one of the competing universities at the time of application or who graduated in December 2019 or later.
Previously Participating Schools
These are the schools that have previously participated in the contest but are not participating in the current edition.