It was an eventful day for Jordan Intermediate School at this year’s 90-Second Newbery Film Festival, held on May 9, 2026. A quartet of students, under the direction of GT teacher Jennifer Wagner, captured 1st Place for Best Film out of approximately 145 submissions at the Tobin’s H-E-B Performance Hall in San Antonio. The team’s adaptation of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle brought with it a $1,500 check for the school. A second project, Pictures of Hollis Woods (judges' remarks linked here), took third place and brought Jordan Intermediate another $750.
The annual video contest encourages students to create short films (approximately 90 seconds long) that tell the entire story of a book that has won a Newbery Medal or Honor - the most prestigious in U.S. children’s literature.
“It was a lot of work all of the students put in,” said Wagner, who oversaw five video projects from Jordan Intermediate, included among the finalists. “The project became a learning experience beyond the classroom - building soft skills needed to accomplish their goals - such as perseverance and conflict resolution. Wagner emphasized students could work on their respective projects after school and on weekends to come up with imaginative twists and turns on beloved classics.
Other notable projects by Jordan Intermediate students at the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival included:
Best Adaptation - Rules
Best VFX (Visual Effects) - Pictures of Hollis Woods (another group’s interpretation)
Special Achievement - Right on the Dot - Old Yeller
Success extended also to Schlather Intermediate School at the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival; two students were recognized for a Special Achievement Award for their interpretation of The Giver.
Wagner says the recognition attained was only part of the journey. Witnessing the students channel their creativity and make the sacrifices necessary to strive for greatness was the most fulfilling aspect of the project.
“When they're as passionate as they were, you want to be everywhere throughout the process,” she said. “I felt their excitement, and I’ve never seen kids that invested in their assignment, and I’ve been here 22 years.”
