The 18th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival August 26-28
Sidewalk Film Festival is produced by the Alabama Moving Image Association, a federally recognized 501c3 non-profit organization with a mission to inspire, encourage and support filmgoers, the city of Birmingham and the filmmaking community. In addition to hosting the annual film festival, we host monthly networking and educational events, a monthly documentary series, short film and screenwriting competitions, manage a youth board and a variety of other year-round programs.
Tickets sales to our events cover approximately 1/3 of our annual operating cash budget, so we depend on corporate sponsors, grant-making organizations and individuals like you to survive. if you’d like to know more about supporting Sidewalk, please contact us at sidewalk@sidewalkfest.com.
Using Sched.org as our primary scheduling tool, we are happy to offer four different ways to view this year’s lineup. By hovering your cursor over the "Schedule" tab below, you can take your pick of a Simple, Expanded, Grid, or By Venue view.
Soundtrack of my Life Director: Kaylee Thomas Run Time: USA Xandra, a quiet teenager, escapes her mundane life through listening to music. Little does she realize what she's missing until it's almost too late.
Door To Door Director: Mady Dever Run Time: 4 USA A sad and lonely vacuum salesman tries and fails to sell vacuums.
A Little Love Goes a Long Clay Director: Juliet Buckholdt Run Time: 3 USA A claymation tale encouraging positive use of social media over cyber bullying.
Forgetting Director: Laura Hanson Run Time: 4 USA An older man fighting memory loss struggles to connect with his son.
Year Of Plenty Director: Natasha Lasky Run Time: 11 USA Insulted by the popular at school, a group of shy teenage girls decide to change their status by forming a rock band. How far will they go to put a mean girl in her place?
Sleep Director: Mary Aupperle Run Time: 3 USA Sarah stays up late studying and then has to wake up early for school. She tries to work her way through getting dressed, doing her makeup and having breakfast, but she's so tired it's dangerous.
Quote Unquote Directors: Noa Schwartz, Nicole Bahar, Joji Baratelli Run Time: 4 USA Cinema Studies just might be the most boring class according to Alex and Bailey. When their teacher kicks them out for mouthing off, things start to get weird.
The Big A Director: Noah Somer Run Time: 7 USA What does that big red A signify anyway? Nathanial Hawthorne visits a contemporary English classroom and offers a possible interpretation.
The Southern Social Order Director: Ellie Stayner Run Time: 4 USA A visually striking personal documentary.
Us & Us Directors: Trey Carlisle, Cole Kawana, Sebastian Ko, Jordan Seibel Run Time: 6 USA A look at dehumanization through the eyes of a black teen and the history of genocides.
Stealing Home Directors: Justin Ciccone, Joe Levin, Michael Stokdyk Run Time: 4 USA Baseball may be America’s favorite past time, but to Cubans it means even more. Three teen sports enthusiasts traveled to Cuba and spoke to scholars and fans to learn more about the legacy of baseball in Cuba.
Love and Music Directors: Sophia Dienstag, Ryan Finley, Sarah McAllister Run Time: 5 USA Cuba is known for its expressive music, but how did the revolution affect musicians’ freedom of speech through their music? Three American teen musicians delve into the matter through interviews with scholars and contemporary Cuban musical artists.
Growing the Rose: Landmines in Cambodia Directors: Milo Hensley, Sam McCabe Run Time: 6 USA Every day in Cambodia, people are harmed by unexploded landmines left 40 years ago by US military action. Two teens travel to Cambodia to interview survivors, activists and a Nobel Peace Prize winner
Tipping Scales: The Story of Lisa Jura Directors: Justin Binder, Jordan Brown, Ty Goodrich, Ned Jacobs, Ryan Kim, Chloe Kuelbs, Matthew Steiglitz, Caleb Ullendorff, Savannah Weinstock Run Time: 6 USA As the Nazis moved into Vienna, young Lisa Jura's life hung in the balance. Her life changed forever when her parents put her on a Kindertransport to England. This is a story of survival and the power of music evocatively told through animation.
The Story of Three Rings: A Memoir of Dana Schwartz Directors: Felix Audelo-Ruiz, Juli Freedman, Elly Hong, Carolina Martinez, Dora Schoenberg Run Time: 9 USA Powerful animation and personal testimonial bring to the screen Dana Schwartz' story of survival during the Holocaust.
One Day On Carver St. Director: Azure Allen Run Time: 4 USA The story of Charlie's Place and its owner, Charlie Fitzgerald.Domar:
To Tame Director: Benjamin Ades Run Time: 7 USA A short portrait on a horse tamer and instructor from Uruguay and his passion for taming.
Where We're Going Director: Claire Norris Run Time: 11 USA When tragedy strikes in a loose-knit family, three sisters are yanked back into each others' lives.
