Scenarios USA is excited to announce that it has shot three of the four new films it’s making this year! Below is a preview of these new films which will debut at the Scenarios USA premiere in June 2007:

The Scenarios USA/Rap-it-Up National Winner: Reflections In 2006, Scenarios USA partnered with Rap-It-Up, a public education initiative of BET and Kaiser Family Foundation, to launch the national “What’s the REAL DEAL on Growing Up in the Age of HIV/AIDS?” story and scriptwriting contest.

The winner of that contest is Keyana Ray, a senior at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois. Her film, Reflections, follows three best friends who learn to take the threat of HIV/AIDS seriously as they navigate their romantic relationships. The film was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love and Basketball) in Maywood in November 2006 and covered by the Chicago Tribune.

Reflections premiered on BET on Sunday, February 4th with record ratings, prompting a swell of purchase requests to the Scenarios USA office. Reflections is available for pre-order on our website.

The New York City Winner: The Choices We MakeScenarios USA’s New York City winner is Tiara Bennett, a recent graduate of Clara Barton High School in Brooklyn. Tiara’s film, The Choices We Make, is about an unintended pregnancy that challenges a committed young couple’s feelings about each other and their plans for the future.

Tiara worked with director Alison Maclean (Jesus’ Son) to develop a shooting script, and the film was shot mid-January in the Seagate community of Brooklyn. A dozen youth interns from Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx got their first taste of filmmaking by working with a professional film crew, and reporters from New York One, The New York Daily News, and New York Metro interviewed Tiara and Alison on the set. The Choices We Make is currently in post-production.

The Miami-Dade County Winner: InevitableThis year’s winner is Whitney Peters, a senior at MAST Academy in Miami, Florida. Her film, Inevitable, examines racism and homophobia as experienced by two high school girls in a budding romantic relationship.

After revising “Inevitable” into a shooting script, Whitney and director Jesse Peretz (The Chateau) shot the film in late January. Whitney and Jesse successfully involved almost one hundred local Miami students as cast members, interns, and extras on the set, and managed to attract a talented film crew during Miami’s peak production season. Plus, Scenarios and the film production were featured in the Miami Herald. Inevitable is also in post-production.

We look forward to seeing you all at the June premiere to celebrate our new films and winners!