Teens clearly have a lot to say about sexuality and how drugs and alcohol affect their relationships and decisions. When Scenarios USA asked NYC teens to write for their What's the Real Deal? contest, over 300 teens sent in their stories. The youth represented 34 schools and community groups from all five boroughs. And the winners are...

All Falls Down, by Chantel Woolridge and Francine Kitson. Chantel and Francine are sophmores at John Dewey High School on Coney Island. The co-writers learned of their win on the last day of school, when the Principal, the two Scenarios Co-Founders and several representatives of the Chancellor's office showed up in their health class.

"We were shocked," Chantel said. They wrote for the contest as part of an assignment in their health class. "I've always dreamed of writing and making a film about health, we did a whole unit around Scenarios" said teacher Gloria Jung. The two winners will spend the summer collaborating with filmmaker David Koepp (Director: Secret Window; Writer: Spiderman) to turn their story into a shooting script. The film will be made in the young writers' neighborhood this fall with their classmates and contest participants from other schools working on the set. Click here for a full list of participants.

Scenarios Shoots the Real Deal in Miami...

This year's film in Miami focuses on a teenage girl struggling with bulimia and anorexia. Eating disorders affect nearly 10 million people, 90% are teenage girls.

In late April, Director Jamie Babbit (But, I'm a Cheerleader), Producer Andrea Sperling (D.E.B.S.] and DP Jules LeBarthe (But, I'm a Cheerleader] joined a Miami-based crew to shoot A Memoir to my Former Self, written by 17 year old Katrina Garcia. Shot in two days, the film tells the story of a teenage girl struggling with her self-confidence, identity and sexuality, all of which are tangled up in an eating disorder.

"It was a dream come true," said Katrina about winning the contest and working side-by-side with Director Babbit to tell this important story. Scenarios auditioned local high school students and the film stars several talented teens from Katrina's neighborhood. Over 100 teens from Miami High participated in the making of the film. Katrina was honored by Miami High's Principal, the District School Board and even the Mayor of Miami presented her with a proclamation recognizing her achievement. Six weeks after production, Babbit gave birth to a baby girl.

We would like to recognize and thank the following for generously supporting and donating to the Miami production (please click here for a full list of Miami production supporters).

Mission shines on the Texas border...

What is a good relationship? That's the question facing the characters in Toothpaste, written by five high school seniors from Mission, Texas. The film tells the very real story of teens figuring out what they need emotionally, physically and personally for a good relationship.

Mission High School seniors Gladys Sanchez, Laura Coria, Juan Carlos Ramirez, Kristal Villarreal, and Amanda Ramirez wrote their story as part of an assignment in their English class. They began developing their story into a shooting script with writer/director Ben Younger (Boiler Room) shortly after learning they had won the Scenarios contest.

The teens and Younger were joined by DP Guillermo Navarro (Spy Kids), Producer Michael Waxman (Ali) and a crew of other professionals, when they shot the film in mid-May in Mission. More then 200 local youth turned out for auditions and the film stars students from across the Rio Grande Valley. The Mayor and School Board of Mission threw a welcome party to honor the writers and the crew and the production dominated the local press during the shoot.

We would like to recognize and thank the following for generously supporting and donating to the Texas production (please click here for a full list of Texas production supporters).