Two upcoming events focus on art produced for and by young adults. One provides the opportunity to interact with authors who write for teens, while the other gives attendees the chance to view videos made by local residents of the same age.

On Sunday, May 2, the Dryden Theatre will host a screening of mini-documentaries produced by participants in the "Raising 100,000 Voices" project, while Nazareth College welcomes the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival on Saturday, May 15.

In its fifth year, the Teen Book Festival has expanded to four buildings on Nazareth's campus, with appearances by 28 authors, including Laurie Halse Anderson, Ben Mikaelsen, Ellen Hopkins, and Alyson No�l.

"It's just a really fun day," says Stephanie Squicciarini, teen services librarian at the Fairport Public Library and founder and director of the festival. "[Teens get] to hang out with other teens that enjoy reading, and if they're aspiring writers themselves, authors like to give them encouragement and advice."

Those who attend the free event, which runs 9 a.m.-5 p.m., can meet the authors, ask questions, and get books signed. The day begins with a panel featuring all of the authors and continues with smaller breakout sessions.

The festival offers other activities, too; attendees can buy books, event T-shirts, and other merchandise, and browse vendor and sponsor tables. Snacks and lunch will be available for purchase, and a teen DJ will supply the festival's soundtrack. For more details on the Teen Book Festival, visit tbflive.org.

The "Raising 100,000 Voices" screening at the Dryden Theatre on May 2 is the culmination of an annual project that enables young adults age 14-24 to express themselves though film. The effort is coordinated by WXXI, the University of Rochester Medical Center, and the Roadwork for Success in Young Adulthood, a community coalition.

Each year, several local agencies recruit participants to produce three-minute mini-documentaries on a topic of their choice. This year's organizations include the Center for Youth Services, various schools and afterschool programs, and Writers & Books. The young filmmakers take part in all aspects of the art, from storyboarding to editing to shooting, and organizers give them opportunities to meet each other and discuss their work.

Shelley Figueroa, coordinator, education and outreach at WXXI, directs the project with the URMC's Ann Marie White. She says "Raising 100,000 Voices" aims to empower the young adults involved.

"[We try to] make sure that kids understand that they do have a voice," says Figueroa. "That's what this has always been about -and giving them creative ways to get that voice out there."

The participants also benefit from meeting teens from other community programs and schools, and developing their research and teamwork skills, she says.

All of this year's more than 30 videos, which touch on the subject of physical or mental health in some way, will be shown in a free screening at the Dryden Theatre, 900 East Ave., on Sunday, May 2, at 2 p.m. To learn more about the project, visit wxxi.org/education/raising100kvoices.