Beverage packaging: 2010 Coca-Cola film award brings attention to recycling

David Bellm

January 30, 2014

2 Min Read
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Andy Landen and Alice Mathias, graduate students from the University of Southern California School (USC) of Cinematic Arts, have won the 2009-2010 Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker’s Award for their short film entitled, “Message in a Bottle,” about a romance born from a recycling project. Landen and Mathias will be presented with their award on March 18 at the star-studded ShoWest Final Night Banquet and Awards Ceremony.

“The Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker’s Award competition brings out the best of the best in young filmmaking”

The filmmaking duo will receive $10,000 and will have their film featured on over 21,000 movie screens across the nation this Fall as part of Coca-Cola’s pre-feature programming.

“The Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker’s Award competition brings out the best of the best in young filmmaking,” said Stefanie Miller, Vice President, Strategic Alliances, Coca-Cola North America. “The judges selected Andy and Alice’s film because they cleverly featured a fun connection between Coca-Cola and the movies. And it was an added bonus that they also used their film to communicate an important message about living positively through recycling.”

Entrants to the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker's Award competition created short films featuring Coca-Cola as a refreshing part of the movie going experience. Ten finalists were chosen and each received a $7,500 grant to use toward producing their 50-second spot in 10 weeks.

“We felt privileged to be empowered with such a substantial budget and wanted to use this opportunity to voice something that is incredibly important to our generation,” said Mathias. “Working with Coca-Cola, a company that we know and trust, motivated us to give it our all.”

“Message in a Bottle,” directed by Landen and produced by Mathias, depicts a light-hearted romance of how love develops through the simple act of recycling. Each day after school through rain and shine, a young man stops by the recycling depot to exchange one empty Coca-Cola bottle for a nickel. In the process, he develops a growing interest for the cute girl working at the counter. Embarking on a creative plan to ask her on a date to the movies, he one day delivers a Coca-Cola bottle with the special message inside.

“The Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker’s Award supports aspiring student filmmakers by allowing them to experience the world of professional filmmaking and showcase their work to leaders in the entertainment industry,” continued Miller.

SOURCE: The Coca-Cola Company

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