SHS graduate's screenplay a finalist for Sprite Refreshing Films
Schaumburg High School graduate Ashley Darnall, currently a junior at Northwestern University, is a finalist for the Sprite Refreshing Films contest as a screenwriter. A short film based on her script “Fresh Studio” and featuring Disney Channel star Jennifer Stone will air on Tuesday, April 12 at www.spriterefreshingfilms.com, where viewers can vote via text to send her and the film crew to a nationally acclaimed film festival.
Per the Sprite Refreshing Films website, “Sprite selected young talent from across the country to write, shoot and edit six short films in six different cities across the U.S.” Darnall's script was shot in Dallas, Texas, where a crew of three college interns and teens ages 13-19 created the film.
The video will be online from April 12th through April 22nd, and anyone can vote to determine who advances to the final round in May for a shot to have his/her film screened at a major film festival. A person can vote for her film by texting “DAL” to 777483 up to 500 times a day during the 11-day period. In addition, significant bonus votes are given to texts containing codes from inside Sprite bottle caps. Details can be found at the website, https://secure.sprite.com/refreshingfilms/film/dallas.jsp
Darnall, who is double-majoring in screenwriting and English, hopes that success in this contest will lead to opportunities later.