I’m very late posting this! Back in May, we brought the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival to San Antonio’s Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, thanks to the sponsorship and support of H-E-B Read 3 and Bibliotech, San Antonio’s all-digital library. Our San Antonio show is always our biggest show every year because of our fantastic local sponsors and organizers!
The screening was co-hosted by me and three-time Newbery honoree, the amazing Jennifer Holm! Here I am with Jenni and some of the great Bibliotech staff who made everything run smoothly:
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This was the fifteenth year of the 90-Second Newbery, and the tenth year of doing it in San Antonio. To celebrate the occasion, we pulled out all the stops with a circus theme, complete with jugglers, stilt-walkers, aerialists, and more courtesy of San Antonio’s Breakthrough Entertainment. You can see their amazing acts, and interviews with happy young filmmakers and their parents and teachers, plus my co-organizers Christa Aldrich and Laura Cole, in this video courtesy of our friends at the Alamo Film Group:
(You can find a longer version of the video here.)
The San Antonio screening unique among our events because H-E-B awards cash prizes to the best films and the runners-up. We also have special awards for specific categories, like Best Costumes or Best Editing! Let’s check out the movies, and see who the winners were.
First place for “Best Movie from a Middle/High School” went to Barbara Jordan Intermediate School’s adaptation of Avi’s 1991 Honor Book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Brynn D., Zirim S., Ava G., and Jake J., done with a love story twist:
As the review says in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “This fantastic movie had assured cinematography, ace editing, and a tight, propulsive script, which made this a very satisfying watch! I loved the twist of creating a love story between Charlotte and Zachariah—a Jack-and-Rose-from-Titanic, working-class-boy-and-rich-girl dynamic that serves the story very well here, from their meet-cute to the romantic dinner to Zachariah’s tragic death.”
Second place for “Best Movie from a Middle/High School” was a tie! One of them The Winston School of San Antonio’s adaptation of Matt de la Peña’s 2016 Newbery Medal Winner Last Stop on Market Street, done by Lake L., Luke C., Mason K., Christian S., Danielle E., Joey A., Salvatore D., Liam G., Mallory M., Avery S., Matthew E., and Corbin S. (This movie also won “Best Costumes from a Middle/High School,” “Best Storytelling from a Middle/High School,” and “Best Editing from a Middle/High School.”)
As the review says in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “There are great production values throughout: I love Nana’s elaborate old-lady costume, the crisp sound design, the well-framed cinematography, the resourceful use of an actual bus, the admirable performances. I was particularly impressed when CJ went into his dream-world when the guitarist was playing, with its moon and animated butterflies.”
The other movie tied for Second Place for “Best Movie from a Middle/High School” is Briscoe Middle School’s Broadcast Club’s adaptation of Katherine Paterson’s 1978 Newbery Medal Winner Bridge to Terabithia by Star, Walter, Kai, Yael, and David. (This movie also tied winning for “Best Cinematography from a Middle/High School.”)
As the review says in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “Sensitive performances, a tight script, and great production values made for an entertaining and unexpectedly moving adaptation!”
Third Place for “Best Movie from a Middle/High School” went to another submission from Barbara Jordan Intermediate School, this time Mackenzie, Ainsley, Malori, and Rachel’s horror-themed adaptation of Patricia Reilly Giff’s 2003 Newbery Honor Book Pictures of Hollis Woods. Unfortunately the movie doesn’t seem to be online anymore, but you can read the review here. It reads it part: “This was a fun, grisly twist on the premise of the original novel: instead of Pictures of Hollis Woods, it’s the Murders of Hollis Woods, in which the seemingly-innoncent orphan Hollis gets moved from one foster home to another because she is a secret murderer of her foster parents!” Hmmm, maybe it was too scary for the Internet! (This movie also won “Best Visual Effects from a Middle or High School.”)
Finally, an Honorable Mention for “Best Movie from a Middle/High School” went to Joel C. Harris Middle School’s adaptation of Pedro Martin’s 2024 Newbery Honor Book Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir, by Karim C., River C., Aaron G., Amari G., Geobanny L., Kensie S., Jax V., and Jellica V. (This movie also won “Best Music/Score” and tied to win “Best Cinematography from a Middle/High School”!)
As the review says in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “I appreciated the combination of English and Spanish performances, and the creative cinematography . . . Entertaining and fun to watch!”
Let’s move on to the elementary schools! First place for “Best Movie from an Elementary School” went to Startzville Elementary GT’s adaptation of Gary Paulsen’s 1988 Newbery Honor Book Hatchet, by Harleigh B., Daniel T., Kayden R., Thorin N., and Miranda M. in the style of The Lego Movie. (It also tied winning for “Best Editing from an Elementary School.”)
As the review says in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “It was a stroke of brilliance to use the ‘Everything Is Awesome’ song from The Lego Movie here, with rewritten lyrics: ‘Everything is awful, everything hurts when you crash a plane, why am I a Lego?’ . . . This movie had it all: a great premise, superior production values, hilarious performances, and even a song! Loved it!”
Second Place for “Best Movie from an Elementary School” went to Johnson Ranch Elementary GT’s adaptation of E.L. Konigsburg’s 1997 Newbery Medal Winner The View From Saturday, by Finn A., Thomas B., Shay R., Jacoby S., Gillian C., Barrett F., Wyatt M., Emma S., Coral S., Daniel S., Liam L., Auden D., Lucy F., Porter L., and Hadley S. This movie also tied to win for “Best Costume from an Elementary School.”
As the review says in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “The 60-year flashback structure, with the senior-citizen getups (old-fashioned clothes, makeup, even grey hair dye and fake mustaches!), was impressive and convincing—along with the genuine tea set! . . . Pro-level cinematography and editing, convincing and enthusiastic acting, and a tight script all combined to make a real winner.”
Third place for “Best Movie from an Elementary School” also goes to Startzville Elementary GT, this time for Ellen Raskin’s 1979 Newbery Medal Winner The Westing Game, by Clint A., Ethan H., Alexander J., Helena S., Wyatt N., Jackson L., Trinton R., and Emery C.. (This one also was tied for “Best Cinematography for an Elementary School.”)
As the review says in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “In this version, the game is chess, and the mystery is cleverly simplified to fit in a short movie. I was impressed by the swooping shots of multiple chess matches, the CGI explosions and smoky aftermath, and even the green screen tuxedo . . . Great performances from all the actors held this movie together!”
Finally, an “Honorable Mention for Best Movie from an Elementary School” went to Arlon Seay Elementary GT for their adaptation of Louis Sachar’s 1999 Medal Winner Holes, as adapted by Finley C., Alice D., Brady R., Tobias M., Madison L., Payton K., Natalia G., Andrew A., Jonas A., Colton R., Cameron R., Keeghan R., Harper M., Isaiah L., and Harper H.:
As the review says in part on the 90-Second Newbery website (full review here), “In this fun twist on the book, instead of shoes falling on our hero Stanley, it’s a box of donuts. And instead of being sentenced to Camp Green Lake, Stanley must work at Desert Donut, a bakery where he must make donuts all day . . . This movie was creative, sometimes even ingenious, and funny, all the way to the final line of ‘I would’ve gotten away with it if it hadn’t been for those meddling kids!'”
There were many other awards given that day, for so many movies that it’d be too many to embed all the videos on this page! But they deserve to be recognized, so here are the awards and the links to where you can watch the videos:
Best Sound – Elementary School
Holes by Freiheit Elementary (Alex L., Cooper B., Tristan Y., Hunter T., Piper K., Kal’el H., Paisley G., Jameson S., Paisley M., and Alisyn S.)
Best Sound – Middle/High School
BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom by Pieper Ranch Middle School (Saziya C., Aika H., Orhan D., Cadence C, Layla H, Jadie S., Sebastian P., and Elizabeth V.)
Best Costumes – Elementary School
The View from Saturday by Freiheit Elementary (Sasa C., Blakleigh G., Beau G., Alina T., Deacon M., Shayleigh W., Kenna D., Thomas H., Gabriel S.) (tied)
Best Visual Effects – Elementary School
Hatchet by Reeves Elementary (Kiaan B., Hugo D., Pranav K., Oliver L., and Ayden K.)
Best Cinematography – Elementary School
Number the Stars by McKinney ISD GT (J.R.) (tied)
Best Adaptation – Elementary School
Hello Universe by Freiheit Elementary, Comal ISD (Leo D., Rylynn H., Tenley S., Walter W., Kelsie N., Kooper M., Knox S., Quinn L., Oliver M.)
Best Adaptation – Middle/High School
Rules by Barbara Jordan Intermediate School, SCUSISD (Colby L., Jameson W., and Kayson K.)
Best Animation
Charlotte’s Web by McKinney ISD GT Program (Isaac, Jackson, Omar, and Wyatt)
Best Storytelling – Elementary School
King of the Wind by Elena S. of St. George Episcopal School
Best Editing – Elementary
The Tale of Despereaux by Arlon Seay Elementary GT, Comal
ISD (Nicholas B., Landyn W., Ozzi W., Dovi W., Dominic H., Sebastian S., Melanie L., Gerardo A., Eli R., Landon P., Adalyn C., and Sophia C.) (tied)
Special Achievement – Ensemble
The Giver by Elaine S. Schlather Intermediate (Jesus L. and Brayden L.)
Special Achievement – Mixed Media Animation
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by Alamo Heights Junior School (June K.)
Special Achievement – Heart of the Library
Across So Many Seas by Jack Segal Elementary (Alexander, Arianna, Ariel, Arielle, Arthur, Asher, Dylan, Eliyah, Ellie B., Ellie S., Ethan, Ezra, Gavin, Holland, Ivy, Jacqueline, Jagger, Knox, Lila, Mia, Margo, Maya, Neria, Prianna, Ray, Sage, and William)
Special Achievement – Heart of the Library
Mexikid by Joel C. Harris Middle School (Karim C., River C., Aaron G., Amari G., Geobanny L., Kensie S., Jax V., and Jellica V.)
Special Achievement – Right on the Dot
Holes (on the Moon!) by Farias-Spitzer Elementary (Jaxon N., Luis C., Des’belle M., Nathan D., and Lestat N.
Special Achievement – Right on the Dot
Old Yeller by Barbara Jordan Intermediate School (Raphael H.)
Thank you so much to all the young filmmakers who made movies for the film festival this year, and to the teachers, librarians, family, and friends who helped them and supported them! And thanks again to all the folks at H-E-B Reach 3 (especially Christa Aldrich) and Bibliotech (especially Laura Cole) for their support, and Judge Peter Sakai for speaking at the event.
The 90-Second Newbery relies on private donations and grants to keep going. It’s through your generosity that we can continue bringing our free public screenings and book-to-movie workshops to libraries and schools nationwide. You can make your (tax-deductible!) donation here. Donations are handled through our fiscal sponsor Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.
