In one film, fighting ninjas and Vikings cause a student to be late to school, but the student's teacher is dubious about this "excuse."

In another film, a rescue dog that found a new home bounds through the woods and frolics outdoors. The happy dog teaches a valuable lesson that "no matter how many bad things are happening in your life, you always have something to be grateful for," the narrator states.

Still another film shows a girl who fears she is encountering paranormal elements while on a walk, after ignoring her mother's warning to return home before dark.

These short films and others are the work of East Lyme Middle School students, who participated in a filmmaking program at the East Lyme Public Library. The iMovie Makers Project, funded by a grant, offered group workshops for students to create short films or book trailers on iPads.

Last week, about 10 students gathered at East Lyme Public Library to screen the films for the last session of a three-part workshop led by Gorman Bechard, a director and co-founder of the New Haven Documentary Film. At least one of the films is expected to be shown during the student work portion of the film festival in June.

Bechard reviewed each film, gave advice to the young filmmakers, and asked them about their plans. He told them they can have futures in film, if they put in the hard work.

He explained to the fifth through eighth graders about the days when movies were edited not on iPads, but by cutting and taping the film. He said with all the technology at their disposal to create movies, it just becomes a matter of dedication and practice, like learning to play the guitar.

Later when a student shared his plans for his next film, Bechard supported the idea and offered this advice: "Just keep making films. Make as many as you can, and hopefully you'll learn from each one — and put them up on YouTube and listen to comments and see how you can improve on "Film A" to "Film B" to "Film C." Make them all a little bit more ambitious and a little bit longer."

The library received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Connecticut State Library Funds, and also used funds provided through the library's Annual Fund Drive.

During one of the workshops, Stratford-based technology educator and children's librarian Caitlin Augusta taught students how to make trailers based on their favorite books: "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen, "Big Nate" by Lincoln Peirce, "El Deafo" by Cece Bell and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling. The trailers were then screened at East Lyme Middle School.

Michelle Shavnya, 14, an eighth-grade student who created the scary movie, said the workshop taught her the elements of script writing, film techniques and editing.

"I like creating a story with film and expressing something that I think is important, or is a good subject,” she said. “I like sharing my work with other people.”

Cora Muschinsky, 10, who created a humorous film, said she wants to be a director when she grows up and thought the program was fun.

James O'Connor, 12, who did the film about the ninjas and Vikings, and Jasper Wright, 12, who did the film about the dog, said they both had filmed movies before, but took away lessons about proper lighting and editing.

East Lyme Library Director Lisa Timothy, who administered the grant with Young Adult Librarian Rebecca Scotka, said the library wanted the students "to develop different literacy skills" and "to give them the opportunity to learn to express themselves in 21st century ways." The book-trailer program helped students learn how to translate books into other types of media.

Timothy said the library will offer animation workshops this spring and hopes to start a filmmaking club for students in the spring or summer.

k.drelich@theday.com

Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich