The contest will take place across Africa and among the African diaspora from 1st December 2010 to 1st April 2011. The contest is open to ALL young people who will be under the age of 25 on 1 April 2011. (If you are older than 24, encourage younger people to take part and give them a hand.)

You are invited to come up with an original idea (a "scenario") for a short film up to 10 minutes in length. The best ideas will be adapted by professionals and turned into films by some of Africa's greatest directors.

It's up to you to decide what form your idea will take. It can be a short story, a theatre piece, a comic strip, a song, a poem… You can even make an audio or video recording of your idea and send it in on a CD or DVD, if you would like! Anything is possible as long as the text is in English, French or Portuguese.

As you create your scenario, please talk to organisations or individuals in your community who can provide you with good information on AIDS.

You can take part alone or in a team. Working in a team has its advantages. It's a great opportunity to talk about AIDS together and to learn what other people think and feel. Each team must choose a leader.

The participant (or the team leader) must fill in the questionnaire that you will find on this leaflet. So, to participate in the contest, you must provide two things: your scenario and your completed questionnaire. Those two things must reach one of the addresses listed on this leaflet by 1st April 2011, at the latest. Photocopied scenarios will not be accepted.

Each scenario may be up to 10 pages long (maximum!). The length of scenarios recorded on CD or DVD may not be more than 10 minutes. Write your name (or the name of the team leader) at the top of each page, and number the pages, please.

The scenarios will be examined by juries made up of specialists in the areas of AIDS and of film. The final international jury will meet in September 2011. There will be 25 winners of the international contest. Each of these winners or winning teams will receive a cash prize of 100 Euros (or US $125, whichever is greater when the prizes are awarded), as well as the possibility to have a film based on their idea made and shown on TV and the Web. In addition, the top 3 winners or winning teams will receive special cash prizes:

1st place scenario : 2.000 Euros (ou US $2,500)
2nd place scenario : 1.000 Euros (ou US $1,250)
3rd place scenario : 500 Euros (ou US $625)

Winners of the international contest will receive their prizes on or before 1st December 2011 at the address they give on their questionnaire. Only one prize will be given to each winning team. The juries' decisions are final.

SCENARIOS FROM AFRICA is co-ordinated by GDT (The Global Dialogues Trust, charity registered in England, No. 1071484). All contest entries will become the property of GDT, which reserves the right to adapt them and to publish them in any form in the context of HIV/AIDS prevention or research activities, duly mentioning the author's (or team leader's) name wherever possible and appropriate. Participants cede all rights relative to their scenario to GDT. The winners authorise the organisers to use their name and address for publicity purposes.

You can write on any subject you wish, as long as it is related to HIV/AIDS.

Or, if you would like, you can choose one of the following topics (1 to 7) as a starting point for your scenario. If you choose to do this, please write the topic number in the space provided at the top of the questionnaire. YOU DON’T HAVE TO CHOOSE ONE OF THESE SUGGESTED TOPICS. If your scenario is on a subject that is not on this list of suggested topics, please write the number "8" at the top of the questionnaire.

Please remember to write not only about the things that happen in your story, but also about your characters’ feelings and thoughts. In addition, we are especially interested in stories in which characters find solutions to the obstacles and challenges they face.

1. Tell a story about corruption and the damage it causes to HIV prevention and treatment programmes. How can we stop it?


2. Write the “next chapter” to an existing Scenarios from Africa film. In other words, watch a Scenarios from Africa film at www.youtube.com/user/scenariosafrica or www.scenariosfilms.com or www.canalprevention.org and imagine how the story would continue. In your opinion, what would happen next in the lives of the film’s characters?


3. Drug abuse can be extremely dangerous for many reasons. Tell the story of someone who injects drugs and encounters HIV.


4. Write a story of courage: What is it like to be deaf or have another disability in a world with HIV/AIDS?


5. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who has become a refugee. In your new life, you face so many challenges, including the risk of HIV infection.


6. Write a story about someone who is attracted to people of the same sex.


7. The doctor says: “If you don’t take your medicine regularly as instructed, you might develop resistance to your medicine.” Use your creativity to explain the concept of resistance to medications in clear, simple terms to someone who has never gone to school.


8. DON'T FORGET: YOU CAN WRITE ON WHATEVER SUBJECT YOU WANT, AS LONG AS IT’S RELATED TO AIDS.  IF YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA THAT’S NOT ON THE LIST, GO AHEAD!

If you have ideas for more than one story, please feel free to write as many stories as you wish!