On World AIDS Day, 1 December, the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN) launched a second edition of the script-writing competition Youth Movies for Life & for Love.

The competition is open to young people aged between 10 & 24 years old who attend Catholic schools and other educational institutions across sub-Saharan Africa. The aim: to increase awareness by producing DVDs of mini-films based on the winning scripts.

In 2010, AJAN held a first edition of the competition that was open only to Jesuit educational institutions. Fifty-five entries from nine countries were submitted and 20 winners selected. The success of the competition encouraged AJAN to hold a second one and to extend participation to other Catholic institutions too; this time 30 winners will be chosen and adapted by professionals into films that will be screened across Africa.

Participants must come up with an original idea for a film that is five to ten minutes long. The idea must revolve around a message about how young people can respond to the challenges posed by HIV, how they can adopt life-giving values or lifestyles, and how they can steer clear of sexually transmitted infections.

Each winner will receive an amount of US$100 and later on receive the DVD of their movie. The top winner will be awarded a special prize of US$300.

To learn more about the competition, please go here.