Regal Cinemas and Coca-Cola Announce Return of Competition for Aspiring Filmmakers

The Coca-Cola and Regal Films program is a six-month initiative providing students with hands-on experience managing all aspects of filmmaking. From developing scripts and managing the creative process to casting and production, student finalists ultimately will create a 35-second film about the special movie-going experience using RED Digital Cinema cameras. The program also gives students the opportunity to work alongside marketing and creative teams at The Coca-Cola Company, Regal Cinemas and RED Digital Cinema.”In partnership with Coca-Cola, we are excited to offer this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to young filmmakers,” said Ken Thewes, Chief Marketing Officer for Regal Entertainment Group. “The Coca-Cola and Regal Films Competition provides hands-on cinematography experience to talented students, and we are impressed every year by the creativity each team exhibits. This competition opens the door to greater career opportunities for many of our entrants, and we look forward to kicking off another great year of the program.”

Coca-Cola and Regal teams will select up to five finalists who each will receive $15,000 and the opportunity to shoot on a complete RED Digital Cinema camera kit to produce a 35-second film. A Red Ribbon panel comprised of entertainment industry experts, Coca-Cola, Regal, and RED representatives will choose the 2018 grand prize winner, who will be announced at the CinemaCon conference in April 2018. The grand prize-winning team will have their film played on thousands of Regal Cinemas screens across the country and win a RED RAVEN® Camera Kit.

Coca-Cola and Regal Films’ 2017 grand prize winners were Tom Teller and Julian Conner from Chapman University. Their film “Crunch Time” is currently playing at Regal theatres nationwide. Winning the program was a stepping stone in their on-going passion for filmmaking. Since graduating from Chapman University, they have formed Frame 48, a full-service production house based in Southern California.

“Every student with an interest in filmmaking should participate in the Coca-Cola and Regal Films competition. From working with supportive corporate partners to hands-on learning with RED Digital Cinema’s state-of-the-art equipment, we now hold new perspectives and a great appreciation for the commercial world,” said Julian Conner, winner of the Coca-Cola and Regal Films program 2017. “Thanks to this experience, I’ve been able to take the lessons learned and put them to use at our own production company, Frame 48. We loved our time in this program, and now continue to make branded content full time.”

“The Coca-Cola and Regal Films Competition was the experience of a lifetime that provided us with the tools to drive our production company, Frame 48, forward, as well as our careers,” said Tom Teller, winner of The Coca-Cola and Regal Films program 2017. “Crunch Time follows a character much similar to many of us, one who can’t resist the temptation of the movie-going experience synonymous with popcorn, an ice-cold Coca-Cola and Regal Cinemas. To have the work of our team seen in so many theaters by millions of moviegoers was a dream come true. The competition was an exceptional experience that we are grateful to be a part of.”

The next time you go to a Regal theater, the trailer you see before your film starts just might have been made by students.

Along with “Crunch Time”, Regal is proud to announce that both runners-up films will also receive screen time. “Coca-Cola Gaze” from AFI Conservatory’s Jane Hollon (Producer) and Mia Niebruegge (Writer/Director) and “Just In Time” a film from UCLA’s Golden Zhao (Cinematographer) and Stephen Heleker (Writer/Producer) will both be featured this fall at Regal Cinemas.