That’s a Wrap! Sprite Films™ Unveils Winning Filmmakers with Refreshing Promise for Tomorrow
Simon Savelyev and Steven Huffaker of the University of California, Los Angeles are Presented with Green Ribbon Panel Award for “Prom Night” and Jay Light, Graduate of Elon University, Takes Consumers’ Choice Award for “Rocketeer”
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- And the winner is… The Sprite Films™ program is pulling back the curtain to showcase the talented winning filmmakers behind the short films that captivated online audiences after a consumer vote-off on Sprite.com. Simon Savelyev and Steven Huffaker from University of California, Los Angeles have been chosen as the Green Ribbon Panel Award winner for their short film “Prom Night”, and Jay Light, a graduate of Elon University, has won America’s votes for “Rocketeer” and takes home the Consumers’ Choice Award.
Green Ribbon Panel Award winner – “Prom Night”
Simon
Savelyev and Steven Huffaker, University of California, Los Angeles
The Green Ribbon Panel of renowned film industry professionals has selected “Prom Night” for the first place award of the Sprite Films program. Simon Savelyev from Los Angeles and Simon Huffaker from Riverside, California, will see their short film shown in select theaters this November.
"We’re extremely thankful to have had this wonderful opportunity to share our work on a BIG level and we’re SUPER excited to see our short film in theaters in November!” said Simon Savelyev and Steven Huffaker. “To know that our short film was selected first place by a panel of industry pros is a really satisfying honor."
Consumers’ Choice Award Winner – “Rocketeer”
Jay Light,
Graduate of Elon University
The six original shorts of the Sprite Films program were featured at Sprite.com for America to view and vote for their favorite film every day during the voting phase. The votes are in, and “Rocketeer” is America’s top pick. Jay Light from Colleyville, Texas has won this honor.
“Our team came together to create ‘Rocketeer’ from script to screen and I am very proud of the work we accomplished together,” said Jay Light. “I hope we showed the world what Elon University is capable of in the world of film. It’s so great to know that Americans enjoyed watching ‘Rocketeer’. It’s also satisfying to know I can produce a film people enjoy watching!”
“There was fierce competition among the Sprite Films filmmakers this year and Simon Savelyev, Steven Huffaker and Jay Light join a very talented group of previous winners with strong creative talent,” said Karen Oettl, brand manager for Sprite. “We look forward to continuing to partner with prestigious film colleges and universities across the country in 2013.”
Young filmmakers from colleges and universities across the United States submitted scripts to the Sprite Films program that were inspired by the 100 year film history of Universal Pictures. Six teams were selected to create and produce short films for the opportunity to see their scripts come to life on the big screen. The finalists were mentored by actor Tyrese Gibson who starred in a :30 pre-feature cinema spot encouraging consumers to visit Sprite.com and vote for their favorite film as part of Sprite’s new integrated marketing campaign “There’s Nothing Soft About It.”
The History of Sprite Films
The Sprite Films program was formerly the Coca-Cola® Refreshing Filmmaker’s™ Award, which was presented annually by Coca-Cola beginning in 1998. The program will now continue through the Sprite brand and will engage youth nationwide with real-life challenging opportunities to leverage their talents, ignite fresh thinking and realize their potential for greatness behind the camera and beyond.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company’s portfolio features 15 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke®, Fanta®, Sprite®, Coca-Cola Zero™, vitaminwater®, Powerade®, Minute Maid®, Simply®, Georgia® and Del Valle®. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees. For more information, please visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CocaColaCo.
The Coca-Cola Company
Kerry Tressler, 404-676-3676
ketressler@coca-cola.com
or
Rogers
& Cowan
Tara Moore, 310-854-8180
tmoore@rogersandcowan.com
Source: The Coca-Cola Company
Released September 14, 2012