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| Our Wednesdays @ 1:00 pm NJN Film Series continues into the summer with screenings of NJN's award winning films. Each week features a different look at New Jersey's cultural, historical and natural resources. Travel through the wetlands to the beautiful shore and across the state to learn about the rich historical and cultural heritage that makes New Jersey unique.
This year's Newark Black Film Festival in Trenton's Youth Cinema features inspirational short stories, wonderful fables and beautifully told historic narratives. Shown each Thursday at 1:00 pm the series is recommended for children ages 4 to 12.
Both Wednesdays @ 1:00 pm and Thursday's Newark Black Film Festival's Youth Cinema are free of charge. |
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 Wednesday @ 1:00 NJN Film Screenings
Presented with the New Jersey Network
Lighthouse: Eye of the Mariner
Wednesday, July 7 at 1:00 pm
This NJN special takes viewers on a delightful tour of the scenic lighthouses that guided ships along the New Jersey shore, through New York Harbor and up the Delaware River. New Jersey is a maritime state, and nothing illustrates that fact so well as the number of lighthouses that once operated on the coastline, protecting sailors from possible death and their ships from destruction. Today, they are romantic reminders of a bygone era that relied on ships for transportation, news and products. Some lighthouses continue to play an important role in navigation.
Touring NJ: A Pleasant Land to See
Wednesday, July 14 at 1:00 pm
NJN's first full-length high definition (HD) video documentary, Touring New Jersey showcases New Jersey's historic, cultural and natural treasures. The program's scope goes from New Jersey's sandy beaches to its mountains, the Statue of Liberty to the Monmouth Battlefield, the Cape May Lighthouse to the Delaware Water Gap. The documentary spans all four seasons and features spectacular panoramic shots taken from a helicopter and a hot-air balloon. Touring New Jersey allows audiences to see and experience the beauty and pride of New Jersey in an entirely new way.
Down Jersey
Wednesday, July 21 at 1:00 pm
"Down Jersey", the local name for Salem, Cumberland and Western Cape May counties, shelters a region of unique communities that maintain a direct link to their past and nurture the natural environment around them. This video explores the environment, history and culture of this distinct region of southern New Jersey. The program examines how residents of "Down Jersey" have managed to keep their traditional work, their cultural heritage and their environmental resources intact after so many years.
Turning the Tide
Wednesday, July 28 at 1:00 pm
Rivers and streams wind through open space, under bridges and roadways, past towns and historic sites, and near habitat that is home to numerous bird species. Since the time of the pilgrims, more than half of the wetlands in the lower 48 states have been destroyed. Often misunderstood, America's wetlands are commonly seen as wastelands - too wet to be easily built upon or farmed, yet a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Now recognized as a critical natural resource, the tide is turning for wetlands. This change in attitude has inspired individual action as well as major policy changes to help protect, preserve and revitalize these special places. Shot in High Definition video, this half-hour documentary showcases the hidden beauty of the tidal areas in and around the Hackensack Meadowlands of northern New Jersey and the Hamilton-Trenton Marsh just south of the state capital of Trenton. Travel these wetlands with NJN and be surprised at what you see.
All presentations in the Wednesdays @ 1:00 NJN Film Screenings are presented free of charge in the Museum Auditorium. Approximate running time is 30 minutes. |
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Newark Black Film Festival in Trenton: Youth Cinema Screenings
Made possible in part by Bank of America
Inspiring Figures: Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald
Thursday, July 8 at 1:00 pm
Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington was hailed as the "King of the Keys." This is a most fitting tribute to a great man who proudly celebrated the history of African-Americans from slavery to civil rights struggles. Narrated by Forest Whitaker.
Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa: Told in the voice of a cool cat named Scat, this dramatic story tells how Ella got her sound on the way to a most remarkable and inspiring career. Innovative animation and jazzy narration will resonate with audiences long after the music stops. Narrated by Billy Dee Williams.
Alejandro's Gift: From the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning PBS children's series, Reading Rainbow, this program presents the book by Richard E. Albert. The book follows Alejandro as he gives the "gift" of water to various desert animals. In this episode, host LeVar Burton explores how important water is for all living things. He visits a California oasis and talks with a naturalist about the importance of this water source for the Cahuilla, a Native American tribe of the past, as well as for animals. Viewers visit Niagara Falls and find out how water power can provide electricity.
Stories from Africa: Not So Fast Songololo 
Elizabeti's Doll
Families of Ghana, West Africa
Thursday, July 15 at 1:00 pm
Not So Fast, Songololo: Malusi, affectionately nicknamed Songololo by his grandmother Gogo, goes to the city to go shopping with her. Set in South Africa, Daly's warm text is enhanced by expressive illustrations that capture the warmth and tenderness shared by grandmother and child.
Elizabeti's Doll: When her new baby brother arrives, Elizabeti, a young Tanzanian girl, longs for a baby of her own to hold and bathe and kiss and burp. One day she finds the perfect baby - a rock she names Eva - just the right size for holding and bathing and kissing and burping. Narrated by Lynn Whitfield, with music by Crystal Taliefero.
Families of Ghana, West Africa: This live-action program explores the daily lives of urban and rural households in Ghana, West Africa, from a child's point of view. Look at the life of eight-year-old Deborah, a young girl living in a rural village in southern Ghana with 12 extended family members. Follow Deborah as she awakes at 5:30 in the morning in order to wash dishes, sweep the floor and carry water before going to school. After school, Deborah makes fufu with her sister and visits the local market. The program also looks at the life of ten-year-old Emmanuel, a young boy living in the capital city of Accra with his mother, father, sister and aunt. Follow Emmanuel to school and to a funeral, where his parents sing in the choir.
The Journey of Henry Box Brown 
Thursday, July 22 at 1:00 pm
The Journey of Henry Box Brown: Narrated by Alfre Woodard, this animated program presents a magical look at the historic true story of slave Henry Box Brown. Children will learn the heroic tale of how Brown mailed himself to freedom in a wooden box from a plantation in Richmond, Virginia, to freedom in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1848. Illustrated by Mark Page and featuring music by Kid Creole & the Coconuts, the program tells the historic tale with the help of fun characters, including Bird, Horse, Cricket and Cat.
The Anansi Collection: Anansi the Spider stars in this animated DVD collection based on the books by Eric A. Kimmel. Featuring illustrations by Janet Stevens, Kimmel's stories are inspired by a collection of West African folktales. Stories include Anansi Goes Fishing in whichAnansi tries to trick Turtle into catching his dinner for him and Anansi and the Magic Stick whereAnansi steals Hyena's magic stick to do his chores while he naps.
The Dot 
Amazing Grace
Brave Irene
Chicken Sunday
Thursday, July 29 at 1:00 pm
The Dot is an animated tale about a young girl who learns to appreciate her own talents, based on the book by Peter H. Reynolds and narrated by Thora Birch.
In Amazing Grace Alfre Woodard narrates the iconographic presentation of Mary Hoffman's book about overcoming self-doubts.
Brave Irene features a young girl who proves that where there is a will, there is a way in.
Chicken Sunday tells the story of a young Ukrainian-American girl who becomes attached to her African-American neighbor after her grandmother dies. Despite their differences in religion and race, Winston and Stewart Washington have become young Patricia's best friends, and their gramma Miss Eula has become like her own. When Easter rolls around, the children try to find a way to earn the money to buy Miss Eula a new hat to thank her for her wonderful Sunday dinners.
All presentations in the Newark Black Film Festival in Trenton's Youth Cinema series are presented free of charge in the Museum Auditorium. Running times vary. Check website for details. |
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| Contact and Reservation Information
Call (609) 292-6347 to reserve your space now! Remember: book two or more programs from the Summer Explorers schedule and pay just $6 per person. That's $6 per person total! Its a great way to take full advantage of all the incredible programs offered.
Make sure you check out the complete Summer Explorer schedule including the Exhibition Programs; Performances; and Planetarium.
Summer Explorers was made possible in part through the support of the Friends of the New Jersey State Museum and generous funding by the Merck Foundation.
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