Debuted in 1998, the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films Red Ribbon Award is an award given out to the student filmmaker—or pair of student filmmakers as of 2026—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. Eight 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 2026 edition of the contest, three finalist scripts are then chosen, and the student filmmakers receive $22,000 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, B&B and Cinemark locations as of the 2026 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 finalists include bestselling author and director of Fanboys and Barely Lethal Kyle Newman and Emmy Award-winning director Josh Greenbaum, and award-winning writer and director Hikari Miyazaki. Many winners have gone on to write, direct and produce feature films or series for major brands or platforms. YearStudent Filmmaker(s)UniversityFilm Title 1998 Kyle Newman New York University"Bitten by Love" 1999 Fredrick Johnson University of Southern California"Through Thick and Thin" 2000 Jason Doty Florida State University"Escape Back to the Movies" 2001 Peter Hunziker University of California, Los Angeles"You Too Could Be a Winner!" 2002 David Pastor-Vallejo Columbia University"Movie (Theater) Hero" 2003 Jordan Ross New York University"Mafia Movie Madness" 2004 Brett Levner & Steve Sole Columbia University"Being Reel" 2005 Matthew Pope Florida State University"The Line Starts Here" 2006 Rosemary Lambert Chapman University"The Reel Monkey" 2007 Josh Greenbaum & Raul Fernandez University of Southern California"The Morning Routine" 2008 Austin Formato University of California, Los Angeles"The Museum" 2009 Jerome Sable & Michael Montgomery University of Southern California"Meanwhile..." 2010 Alice Mathias & Andy Landen University of Southern California"Message in a Bottle"2011Philip KimbroughElon University"Cease and Deceased"2012Simon Savelyev & Steven HuffakerUniversity of California, Los Angeles"Prom Night"2013Dean CootsElon University"Break the Night"2014Merlin CamozziUniversity of California, Los Angeles"What we Need"2016Ameer KazmiSchool of Visual Arts"Blindfold"2017Julian Conner & Tom TellerChapman University"Crunch Time"2018Clara Montague & Eva KirieIthaca College"The Library"2019Devon Solwold & Shayain LakhaniSavannah College of Art and Design"Choose Happy"2020Elina Itugot & Henry ZhininSavannah College of Art and Design"Let Loose"2022Anna McClanahan & Gabriel Ponte-FlearyRochester Institute of Technology"Say Cheese"2023Gracie Hall & Bella HallBoise State University"Expand"2024Adam Sheets & Destinee NevilleBrigham Young University"Signs of Friendship"2025Aiko Lozar & Lexi BerganioChapman University"Ticket to Everywhere"2026Angel Quinapallo & Kylie ShouseFull Sail University"Behind The Screens"
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 Brigham Young University. WinsUniversityLocationWinning Year(s)FourUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, California2001, 2008, 2012, 2014 University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California 1999, 2007, 2009, 2010ThreeChapman UniversityOrange, California2006, 2017, 2025TwoColumbia UniversityNew York City, New York2002, 2004Elon UniversityElon, North Carolina2011, 2013Florida State UniversityTallahassee, Florida2000, 2005 New York UniversityNew York City, New York 1998, 2003Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, Georgia2019, 2020OneBoise State UniversityBoise, Idaho2023Brigham Young UniversityProvo, Utah2024Ithaca CollegeIthaca, New York2018Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, New York2022School of Visual ArtsNew York City, New York2016Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, Florida2026 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. + American SchoolsUniversityLocation American Film Institute Los Angeles, CaliforniaArizona State UniversityTempe, ArizonaBiola UniversityMirada, CaliforniaBoise State UniversityBoise, IdahoBowie State UniversityBowie, MarylandCalifornia State University, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaChapman UniversityOrange, CaliforniaColumbia College ChicagoChicago, IllinoisElon UniversityElon, North CarolinaFlorida State UniversityTallahassee, FloridaFull Sail UniversityWinter Park, FloridaGeorgia State UniversityAtlanta, GeorgiaHussian College Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaIndiana UniversityBloomington, IndianaIona CollegeNew Rochelle, New YorkIthaca CollegeIthaca, New YorkLos Angeles Film SchoolLos Angeles, CaliforniaLoyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CaliforniaMorehouse CollegeAtlanta, GeorgiaNew York Film AcademyLos Angeles, CaliforniaNew York City, New YorkSouth Beach, FloridaNew York UniversityNew York City, New YorkNorthwestern UniversityEvanston, IllinoisPace UniversityNew York City, New YorkRingling College of Art and DesignSarasota, FloridaRochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, New YorkSavannah College of Art and DesignAtlanta, GeorgiaSavannah, GeorgiaSchool of Visual ArtsNew York City, New YorkSpelman CollegeAtlanta, GeorgiaTemple UniversityPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaThe New SchoolNew York City, New YorkThe University of Texas at AustinAustin, TexasUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaUniversity of Central FloridaOrlando, FloridaUniversity of GeorgiaAthens, GeorgiaUniversity of MiamiCoral Gables, FloridaUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaUniversity of New OrleansNew Orleans, LouisianaUniversity of North Carolina School of the ArtsWinston-Salem, North CarolinaUniversity of Notre DameNotre Dame, IndianaUniversity of West GeorgiaCarrollton, GeorgiaWestern Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KentuckyWoodbury UniversityBurbank, California + Canadian SchoolsUniversityLocation Algonquin College Ottawa, OntarioBritish Columbia Institute of TechnologyBurnaby, British ColumbiaCapilano UniversityNorth Vancouver, British ColumbiaCentennial CollegeToronto, OntarioGeorge Brown CollegeToronto, OntarioHumber CollegeToronto, OntarioMohawk CollegeHamilton, OntarioMount Royal UniversityCalgary, AlbertaToronto Metropolitan UniversityToronto, OntarioSeneca CollegeToronto, Ontario
Previously Participating Schools These are the schools that have previously participated in the contest but are not participating in the current edition. UniversityLocationLast ParticipationAmerican UniversityWashington D.C.2022Hofstra UniversityNassau County, New York2022Santa Fe CollegeGainesville, Florida2022
Coca-Cola Regal Films 2016 Contest For the first time since 2010, when it was rebranded as Sprite Films, the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films contest took place in 2016, now marketed as Coca-Cola Regal Films due to its new collaboration with Regal Cinemas. The winner of the first contest after its relaunch was writer and director Ameer Kazmi from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, New York, giving the school its first-ever win in the competition. Three finalists were chosen from over one hundred submitted scripts. The finalists each received $15,000 to produce their 30-second films celebrating the movie-going experience. The deadline for the final film submission was September 12, 2016, and the completed films were then judged by the Red Ribbon Panel of industry experts. Kazmi's winning film, "Blindfold," tells the story of an overwhelmed woman who is led to a movie theater by her two roommates while wearing a blindfold, and then relaxing while enjoying Coca-Cola. After being declared the contest winner, the film began screening on October 28, 2016, in 567 Regal locations nationwide. Student FilmmakerUniversityFilm Title Noah Sterling Savannah College of Art and Design"24 Frames" Eric Hernandez Elon University"A Life's Inspiration" Ameer Kazmi School of Visual Arts"Blindfold"
Coca-Cola Regal Films 2017 Contest