A Cinematic Sweep: Full Sail University Dominates the 2026 Coca-Cola Refreshing Films Program

In a landmark achievement for collegiate filmmaking, Full Sail University has officially swept the 2026 Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program. By securing the competition’s most prestigious accolades—including the Red Ribbon Panel Grand Prize, the Cinemark Fan Favorite, and Best Music Composition—Full Sail students and graduates have demonstrated that the next generation of industry professionals is already operating at a world-class level.

This year’s competition, which challenges students to capture the quintessential “magic of the movies” while highlighting the role of Coca-Cola in the theater experience, saw Full Sail teams secure two of the three final spots, ultimately capturing the top honors in a crowded field of nationwide entries.

Main Facts: The Triumph of Talent

The 2026 competition concluded with a clean sweep that has reverberated throughout the academic and film industries. The graduate-level short film, Behind the Screens, directed by Angel Quinapallo and produced by Kylie Shouse, claimed the Red Ribbon Panel Grand Prize Award, the competition’s highest honor. The same production earned Best Music Composition for the film’s evocative score, crafted by Full Sail Music Production graduate Kevin Kraus.

Simultaneously, the undergraduate team of director Brandon Bishop and producer Christina Almuina saw their project, What Makes Them Magic, crowned the Cinemark Fan Favorite. This award, decided by a nationwide audience vote, solidified the university’s dominance in both critical artistic acclaim and public engagement.

A Legacy of Innovation: What Is Coca-Cola Refreshing Films?

Since its inception in 1998, the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program has served as a bridge between the classroom and the multiplex. The competition is designed to provide students with a rare, high-stakes environment where they must pitch original scripts, navigate corporate brand guidelines, and execute a full-scale production that adheres to professional theatrical standards.

The program is not merely a contest; it is an incubator. Participating students gain access to industry-standard equipment, mentorship from working professionals, and, most crucially, theatrical distribution. In 2026, the program partnered with industry titans—including AMC, B&B, and Cinemark Theatres—to provide the real-world sets and exhibition infrastructure required to bring student visions to the big screen. Technical partners like Red and Nikon supplied professional-grade cinema cameras and lenses, while post-production giants like Company 3 provided high-end color grading.

For students, this represents an unparalleled "safety net" experience: the ability to experiment with professional workflows, insurance logistics, and brand approvals while still benefiting from the academic guidance of university faculty.

Chronology: From Script to Screen

The path to this victory was a rigorous months-long endeavor that mirrored the pacing of a Hollywood production. The journey began with a competitive script submission phase, where teams were tasked with integrating Coca-Cola’s brand identity into a narrative centered on the moviegoing experience.

Once selected as finalists, the Full Sail teams moved into the pre-production phase. For both the undergraduate and graduate teams, this involved meticulous budgeting, casting, and logistical planning.

1. Pre-Production: Students utilized Full Sail’s extensive campus resources, including their state-of-the-art $3 million virtual production studio, Studio V1. This allowed the teams to push the boundaries of visual storytelling using real-time rendering and LED volumes.
2. Principal Photography: The teams moved from the virtual stage to real-world locations, including AMC Altamonte Springs and Cinemark Orlando. This phase required students to coordinate with professional theater staff, managing both the creative demands of the script and the operational realities of a commercial venue.
3. Post-Production: The final phase involved intricate sound design and music composition, mentored by industry veterans at CineVantage, followed by color grading at Company 3.
4. Distribution and Voting: The films were exhibited in partner theaters nationwide, culminating in a public voting period that determined the Cinemark Fan Favorite.

Supporting Data: The Magnitude of the Operation

The scale of these productions underscores the intensity of the student experience. Across both films, roughly 80 to 90 percent of the crew members were Full Sail students or recent graduates. This collaborative model meant that hundreds of individuals—ranging from 3D artists and virtual production specialists to audio engineers—contributed to the final product.

Behind the Screens, in particular, stands as a testament to this collaborative spirit. The production required the custom fabrication of a life-sized T-Rex tail and the procurement of dozens of period-accurate costumes to represent the history of cinema. This level of detail, executed within a 60-second runtime, highlights the technical proficiency of the student body.

Official Responses and Industry Recognition

The success of the Full Sail teams did not go unnoticed by the program’s leadership. Katie Pryor, the Program Manager for Coca-Cola Refreshing Films, who has overseen the initiative for nearly a decade, expressed profound admiration for the university’s infrastructure.

“I think the facilities here at Full Sail are really, really mind-blowing,” Pryor remarked during the evaluation process. “The resources and opportunities that Full Sail provides to their students are phenomenal. This program is a great opportunity for students to get that branded filmmaking experience while they still have the safety net and the resources of the school.”

The students themselves echoed this sentiment, viewing the experience as a transformative milestone in their professional development. Brandon Bishop, director of What Makes Them Magic, noted the philosophical weight of the project: “One of the only art forms that you go spend two hours in is a movie, and then you make a fundamental life change after that because you saw something that moved you. That’s really great, beautiful, and magical.”

Kylie Shouse, producer of the Grand Prize-winning Behind the Screens, emphasized the authenticity of the process: “This script just crackles with energy and captures the creativity and controlled chaos that happens behind the scenes when creating movie magic. It mirrors all the work that we as student filmmakers experience to create these 60 seconds of branded content.”

Kevin Kraus, the winner of the Best Music Composition award, described the win as a culmination of artistic dedication: “It’s incredibly gratifying to get an award for something that I’ve put so much time and work into. This whole project has been an absolute labor of love.”

Implications: The Future of Film Education

The 2026 sweep by Full Sail University serves as a case study in the efficacy of experiential learning. By integrating high-end virtual production technology with the traditional constraints of branded content creation, Full Sail has proven that the divide between "student work" and "industry work" is rapidly closing.

Implications for Future Filmmakers:

• Professional Workflow Fluency: Students emerged from this competition not just as creators, but as project managers capable of navigating the complex web of insurance, budgeting, and legal compliance that governs modern film production.
• Virtual Production Proficiency: The heavy reliance on Studio V1 signals a shift in film education, where mastery of virtual volumes is becoming as essential as traditional cinematography.
• Network Expansion: Through partnerships with major theater chains and post-production houses, students have secured a foothold in the professional network, making the transition from graduation to employment significantly more seamless.

As the film industry continues to evolve, programs like Coca-Cola Refreshing Films—and the universities that embrace them—are setting the standard for how the next generation will be trained. The 2026 results suggest that the future of cinema is not just being taught; it is being produced, refined, and celebrated in the classrooms and studios of Full Sail University.

For the students who participated, the trophies are a tangible reward, but the true prize remains the professional experience gained under the pressure of a national spotlight. As these students graduate and enter the competitive job market, they carry with them the unique distinction of having already delivered work that has resonated with audiences and industry experts alike.