Mountain Dew® Teams Up with Legendary Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez And El Rey Network to Launch Green Label Studios: Open Call

AUSTIN, Texas, March 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mountain Dew^® today announced the launch of Green Label Studios: Open Call – a first-of-its-kind nationwide content project inviting content creators of all genres to submit their best work for the chance to win the gig of a lifetime: a $250,000 production grant to create content for Green-Label.com,  a digital hub created by Mountain Dew and Complex Media that covers the voices and stories of today's youth culture. The winner also receives an opportunity to be mentored by acclaimed film director and founder of El Rey Network, Robert Rodriguez, and Roberto Orci, executive producer and writer of Matador, a new original action series set to air on Rodriguez's new cable channel.

Starting today through April 25, professional and aspiring content creators across all genres can submit their work at www.Green-Label.com showing how they "Do the DEW." Entries should showcase the filmmakers' unique take on their world, what they are passionate about and how they celebrate those passions.

VIDEO LINK:  http://youtu.be/rA_kv1Uh3s0 (Green Label Studios: Open Call Overview)

"Game changing ideas and epic content can come from anywhere, at any time," said Greg Lyons, Vice President of Marketing, Mountain Dew. "Green Label Studios: Open Call is the perfect platform for 'DEW Nation' to express themselves, celebrate their passions and show us how they 'Do the DEW.'"

All video entries will be judged by the Mountain Dew and Green-Label.com editorial teams, with 10 lucky finalists each receiving a $10,000 production grant to create a special piece of content for DEW.  Finalists will present their work to an esteemed Green Label Studios panel at an exclusive DEW event this summer in New York City. In the end, one filmmaker will receive the top honors -- a $250,000 production grant to create content for Green-Label.com and the chance to be mentored by Rodriguez and Orci.

"I believe that each of us has a story to tell – and that inspiration and the ability to tell those stories creatively can spark in anyone, at any time," said Robert Rodriquez at a Green Label Studios event at SXSW. "I'm excited to partner with DEW to give professional and aspiring storytellers and creators a creative outlet to share with us their stories."

Green Label Studios is the next step in the evolution of Mountain DEW's legacy Green Label programs, which have always been about the discovery and expression of all things emerging youth culture – including music, art, style and action sports. Since launching in April 2013, Green-Label.com has exceeded expectations, with nearly 2.4 million unique page views in February 2014, with visitors spending nearly four minutes on the site each session.

Matador, premiering July 2014, is produced by El Rey in association with Orci and partner Alex Kurtzman's K/O Paper Products, the coveted writing/producing team behind Sleepy Hollow, Fringe, Star Trek and the Transformer franchise. 

For complete rules for the Green Label Studios: Open Call program, visit www.Green-Label.com.

Visit www.Green-Label.com and www.MountainDew.com for more information, and to join the conversation use #SXSW #OpenCall.

About Mountain Dew  
Mountain Dew, a product of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, is the No. 1 flavored carbonated soft drink in the U.S. With its one-of-a-kind citrus taste, Mountain Dew exhilarates and quenches with every sip. In addition to original Mountain Dew® and Diet Mountain Dew®, the permanent DEW product line includes Mountain Dew Code Red®, Mountain Dew LiveWire®, Mountain Dew Throwback®, Mountain Dew Voltage® and Mountain Dew White Out®. For more information, check out www.mountaindew.com, www.facebook.com/mountaindew or follow on twitter @mtn_dew.

About PepsiCo 
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also, means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

About El Rey Network

El Rey Network is a new 24-hour English-language network founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.  Curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network will unite the most culturally diverse generation in history through fearless, badass and original content that awakens the renegade in everyone.  The network's action-packed content is anchored by original signature dramas, feature films, grindhouse genre, cult classic action and horror/sci-fi.  El Rey Network LLC (www.elreynetwork.com) is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures with a minority stake held by Univision Communications Inc.

"Matador" is executive produced by co-creators and showrunners Jay Beattie and Dan Dworkin, alongside executive producers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Andrew Orci.  Also joining as executive producers are Heather Kadin of K/O Paper Products; Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures and El Rey Network co-founders John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa.

Entertainment One Television (eOne) exclusively represents worldwide distribution rights (with the exception of U.S. broadcast network rights) for El Rey Network's "Matador" and other original scripted series created for the U.S based cable network, to be announced.

About Complex Media  
Complex Media is the largest multiplatform lifestyle destination for young males, with over 112 million unique monthly visitors and 1 billion monthly pageviews. The company is comprised of a collective of lifestyle sites for men, anchored by a flagship hub, Complex.com, the online home of Complex magazine (founded in 2002). Complex Media consists of a carefully curated family of sites that are vetted for editorial integrity and consistency. Complex Media has a powerful social platform, with more than 30% of its traffic derived from social networks. The company offers cutting-edge video and industry leading branded content opportunities for marketers, and works with many of the world's top brands including Levi's, Cadillac, Pepsi, Heinken and Reebok.

Media Contacts 
Jen Ryan
PepsiCo 
914-708-6066 
[email protected]

Pat Minogue 
GolinHarris 
312-729-4265
[email protected]

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SOURCE PepsiCo