Adjunct Professor of Film and Media Studies Wanda Strauven has published her latest book, Children Reinventing Cinema: Snapshots from the Early 21st Century, co-written by Alexandra Schneider, with Meson Press.
The book explores how children, introduced at a very young age to digital drawing tools like the camera-crayon, engage with media in inventive and playful ways. By creating their own media artifacts, they explore filmmaking practices that push the boundaries of contemporary cinematic forms and formats.
The book is available via open access here and print versions are for sale via Amazon. An event with screenings of short films made by kids from the past and the present is being held in celebration of the launch on October 9, 2025 at the Lenfest Center for the Arts. The evening will be introduced by Professor Rob King, followed by a discussion with the authors and Associate Professor of Childhood Studies Meredith A. Bak (Rutgers University), moderated by Film and Media Studies student Ava Witonsky.
Wanda Strauven is Adjunct Professor in Film and Media Studies at Columbia University. She is also affiliated with the Institute of Theater, Film and Media Studies at Goethe University Frankfurt. Her research focuses on early and avant-garde cinema, media archaeology, tactile media, and children’s interaction with media.
