Newbery Film Festival: To Encourage Reading and Media Literacy Among Youth

Rochester, N.Y. - On Saturday, April 25 at 2 p.m., the George Eastman Museum will once again host the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival, a program of short films by children and teens.

Founded by James Kennedy, author of the award-winning YA fantasy The Order of Odd-Fish, the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival aims to encourage reading and media literacy among youth through the making of films that tell the entire story of a Newbery Award-winning book in ninety seconds.

The best movies received are screened at special-event screenings in New York City, Chicago, San Antonio, Boston, Tacoma, and other cities, co-hosted by Kennedy and other award-winning children’s authors. Past movies have demonstrated creativity, humor, and ingenuity—from musicals to stop-motion Claymation, and from puppet shows to animation.

The Rochester, NY screening of the 15th annual festival will be hosted by Kennedy and Bruce Coville (author of The Unicorn Chronicles, Aliens Ate My Homework, and more).

Movies made by kids from the Rochester area and some of the best from around the country will be shown during the program, free of charge to all. Advanced registration is encouraged.

For those interested in making their own 90-Second Newbery movie in 2027, details, video resources, and more can be found at the 90-Second Newbery website.

Sponsored by the Friends and Foundation of the Rochester Public Library, Genesee Valley BOCES, Irondequoit Public Library, Animatus Studio, and RIT MAGIC, RIT College of Art & Design and RIT K-12 University Center