After two years, over 1000 screenplay submissions and four winning short films, the organizations involved decided to extend the competition to its third year. The competition, which provides a platform to creatively explore issues surrounding HIV/AIDS in African-American, Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin communities, seeks to encourage fresh and culturally unique storylines about the subject.

African-Americans make up the majority of the country’s HIV/AIDS population. Black men have the highest AIDS case rate of any group in the nation, followed by Black women. In some areas, Black homosexual males are estimated to be contracting HIV at the same rate as people in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Presently, minority Americans represent 71 percent of new AIDS cases, while at least half of all new HIV infections are estimated to be among young adults under the age of 25,” said Kelli Richardson Lawson, BET’s Executive Vice President of Corporate Marketing, via a statement. “Our Rap-It-Up films serve as an important resource in educating viewers about a deadly epidemic that continues to disproportionately affect African Americans at an alarming rate.”

Last year’s RIU/BASS film competition chose two winning screenplays. The team of Drew Anderson, Justin Follin, Charneice Fox and Michelle Sewell from Washington, D.C., won for “Multitude of Mercies,” a story depicting how a young Black minister deals with HIV/AIDS in his church. Michelle Lynne Coons of Los Angeles also won for “Let’s Talk,” a screenplay which deals with how to raise the issue of HIV testing in a young relationship.

For more information on RUI/BASS film competition, please visit http://www.bet.com/rapitup.