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Monday, August 21
 

5:00pm CDT

Alabama Film Spotlight Night Happy Hour
Join us for a happy hour before the Alabama Spotlight Night Film Screening- you'll enjoy drink specials and mingling with Alabama Filmmakers.

Monday August 21, 2023 5:00pm - 7:00pm CDT
TBA Sidewalk Cinema Bar

7:00pm CDT

Alabama Film Spotlight Night: Shorts
Driven By Design: Inside Crimson
Directed by Angel Caro
7 minutes • USA
Lead EV engineer Chris Rodriguez gives an inside look into crimson racing, where his team develops and test fully functional F1 style vehicles, including the design of the first fully electric race car in their school's history. One of the first documentaries in world history to feature ai animation.

This Is Not A Sport Film
Directed by Lily Ahree Siegel
13 minutes • USA
A filmmaker takes an introspective look into herself and her disability through wheelchair rugby.

Ambrosia
Directed by Isabella Miller, Gabe Braden
15 minutes • USA
An activist drag queen in rural Alabama is forced to keep her identity secret as she fights for human rights in a race against the systematic erasure of her own history.

Monograph: Patricia Halsell-Robinson
Directed by Lisa Cordes
5 minutes • USA
Mobile's Patricia Halsell-Robinson has been making extravagant couture gowns and trains for the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association's royal court for over 20 years. Feast your eyes on her gorgeous creations.

Monograph: Last Call Baking Co.
Directed by Kelsey Harrison Ianuzzi
6 minute • USA
Last Call Baking Co. is full of surprises. After launching from Chanah Willis' apartment at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Last Call Baking Co. has opened shop, feeding Birmingham, AL fresh, unusual, and aesthetically delightful baked goods. Among many influences, Willis draws inspiration from her Southern, Jewish heritage, her love of travel, and her background in fine arts. But what truly sets her apart from your average Betty Crocker is a wild appreciation for ingredients and pure adoring enchantment with their possibilities. This doc will make you hungry.

Pilot At the Bottom of the Lake
Directed by Robert Clay
5 minutes • USA
Local filmmaker, Robert Clay, explores a Lake Martin urban legend of a mysterious plane and pilot stuck at the bottom of the lake.

35205
Directed by Ilya Blokh
15 minutes • USA
A short documentary about the DIY punk scene in Birmingham, Alabama and how it has reinvented itself post covid as a community that combines the violence and self-expression of moshing with inclusivity and diversity.

Monday August 21, 2023 7:00pm - 8:07pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A, Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

9:00pm CDT

TVs of Terror and Under the Mountain Present: POSSESSION
TVs of Terror and Under the Mountain are proud to present the legendary arthouse nightmare, Andrzej Zulawski’s POSSESSION! Set in the shadow of the Berlin Wall, and infused with Cold War-era paranoia, POSSESSION masterfully blends horror and thriller conventions into an utterly unique cinema experience. A professional spy (Sam Neil) returns to West Berlin to find that his wife (Isabelle Adjani) wants a divorce. As their marriage implodes so begins a descent into a nightmarish maze of jealousy, carnality, and terror, where identity and reality are almost impossible to distinguish. This screening is FREE thanks to the Jefferson County Library Cooperative: http://jclc.org and The Sidewalk Cinema.


Monday August 21, 2023 9:00pm - 11:15pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

9:15pm CDT

Welcome to the J: Inside Army Jungle School
As tensions with China build and the US military sends more troops to the Asia-Pacific region, soldiers with the skills to fight and survive in the jungle are increasingly vital. The US Army trains soldiers for jungle warfare at the 25th Infantry Division's Lightning Academy on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Insider's chief video correspondent Graham Flanagan spent 12 days inside the Army's Jungle Operations Training Course, where a cross section of soldiers of various ranks and experience levels learn to fight, move, and survive in the jungle. Eighty students begin the course on day one, but only 51 will make it to graduation. The rest are dropped from the course by failing one of five critical tests.


Monday August 21, 2023 9:15pm - 10:26pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater B
 
Tuesday, August 22
 

11:30am CDT

TechTuesday: AI & Filmmaking
TechTuesday is back at the Sidewalk Cinema! We are partnering with TechBirmingham to have a special session of their monthly TechTuesday event to offer a lunch and learn program focused on AI, film, creativity, and the intersection of tech and film. Lunch is included. This event is free but registration is required at https://sidewalkfest.com/events/techtuesdayaifilmmaking/ Doors at 11:30, Panel at noon.

All Education + Outreach standalone panels and workshops are free to the public, no pass required! TECHTUESDAY REQUIRES REGISTRATION IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE A BOXED LUNCH.

Moderators
Speakers
Exhibitors

Tuesday August 22, 2023 11:30am - 1:00pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

2:00pm CDT

Music Licensing for Musicians & Filmmakers
Join us for a special encore presentation of our July Sidewalk Salon where composer and UAB professor, Craig Brandwein will cover the terms you need to know in the world of copyright and clearances and answer YOUR questions.

All Education + Outreach standalone panels and workshops are free to the public, no pass required!

Speakers

Tuesday August 22, 2023 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

5:00pm CDT

Life + Liberty Spotlight Night : Happy Hour + Let's Be Clear Film Premiere
Join us for a happy hour to celebrate Life + Liberty Spotlight Night. You'll enjoy drink specials and have easy access to a special presentation from Measures for Justice.


Tuesday August 22, 2023 5:00pm - 7:00pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Bar

7:00pm CDT

Life + Liberty Spotlight: Break the Game
Alone in her studio apartment, Narcissa Wright live streams every minute of her quest to become the world's fastest Legend of Zelda player. But when her isolated digital existence begins to crack, Narcissa must decide her fate: will she embrace love and adventure in the real world, or will she be seduced again by the glow of the computer screen?

Artists

Tuesday August 22, 2023 7:00pm - 8:12pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A, Sidewalk Cinema Theater B
 
Wednesday, August 23
 

3:30pm CDT

Beyond the Screen: Media Literacy 101
Beyond the Screen is Sidewalk's new Media Literacy Program in partnership with the Birmingham Public Library. This FREE event is catered to adults but all ages may attend. Join us for our first session - Media Literacy 101 at BPL - Central!

All Education + Outreach standalone panels and workshops are free to the public, no pass required!

Moderators
Wednesday August 23, 2023 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Birmingham Public Library - Central

5:00pm CDT

Shout LGBTQ+ Spotlight Night : Happy Hour
Join us for a happy hour to celebrate Shout LGBTQ+ Film Spotlight Night. You'll enjoy drink specials and some fun surprises!

Sponsors

Wednesday August 23, 2023 5:00pm - 7:00pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Bar

7:00pm CDT

SHOUT LGBTQ Spotlight Night: Kokomo City
A raw depiction of the lives of four black trans sex workers as they confront the dichotomy between the black community and themselves.

Artists
Sponsors

Wednesday August 23, 2023 7:00pm - 8:13pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A, Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

9:00pm CDT

Shout LGBTQ+ Film Trivia
Join us for LGBTQ+ Trivia, hosted by Landon Nichols - bring a friend, make a new friend, win cool prizes.

Wednesday August 23, 2023 9:00pm - 10:30pm CDT
AIDS Alabama
 
Thursday, August 24
 

5:00pm CDT

Black Lens Spotlight Night : Happy Hour
Join us for Black Lens Spotlight Night happy hour - you'll enjoy drink specials and a set from The Kickback!

Thursday August 24, 2023 5:00pm - 7:00pm CDT
TBA Sidewalk Cinema Bar

7:00pm CDT

Black Lens Spotlight Night: Shorts
The Assisted Stories Project: Nashville
Directed by Ryan Estabrooks
4 minutes • USA
The life of Dollye Matthews, co-creator of one of the most renowned hot chicken restaurants in the world, is explored as she uncovers the history of Nashville itself.

Ashley M Jones: Trust the Voice Within
Directed by Anissa Latham
9 minutes • USA
As Alabama's first Black (and youngest!) Poet Laureate, Ashley M. Jones promotes poetry and creates opportunities for people to engage with poetry. Here, she talks about how Alabama shapes her work and adds to her authentic voice.

Black is Beautiful
Directed by Macro Antonia Ortega
33 minutes • USA
This short documentary film tells the story of a man who uses his talents to support and lift his community. When the "Black Lives Matter" movement grew in awareness, Marcus Baskerville head brewer of Weathered Souls Brewing Co. wanted to shed light on the growing problem of inequality and police brutality. This is where the "Black is Beautiful" project was born. We follow the impact of the initiative and where it is today.

Hennessy Presents: The Legacy Makers
Directed by Diana Ali Chire, Walter Thompson-Hernandez, Tevin Tavares
11 minutes • USA
We start this story focusing on one of the key players who sits behind the silver screen, Ngina Bowen. This costume supervisor for film and television takes us on her career journey to reveal certain obstacles she’s faced and how she’s overcome them. We learn about her family and how their influence has shaped her entire career and why building her own legacy is not solely for her, but all who looks like her.
Next we make our way to the heart of Los Angeles, CA to spend a day with the Founder, Creative Director, and Designer of SUPERVSN — Gavin Mathieu. As he takes us for a walk through his neighborhood and to his mother’s home, we get a sense of who he is and what legacy truly means. For Gavin, it is all about family and a particular mindset of perseverance to achieve greatness. A belief that you can do anything despite your surroundings constantly telling you it’s impossible. His mission is to create freely, push the limits of potential, and to become a living example for the next generation.
To close out our story we examine the process of creating fine art and how it has parallels to building a legacy with Obsidianworks Co-Founder & CEO, Chad Easterling. Through him we are reminded that legacy is not built overnight. We have to dedicate ourselves to perfect our craft. Get our hands dirty. And to use our experiences to help build a masterpiece. Because legacy starts as just a piece clay, but over time it is molded into something that lives on forever.

Mamba Murals
Directed by Farah X
16 minutes • USA
Mamba’s Murals is a film explores the legacy of Kobe Bryant and his intrinsic value in the very definition of Los Angeles. By exploring the touching phenomenon of Kobe’s murals that appeared organically throughout the city after his untimely passing, we celebrate the life of a legend through the people he touched. 

When LA Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant died tragically in January 2020, epic murals started to appear throughout the city, by artists and ordinary Angelenos alike. Mamba’s Murals explores what these expressions of grief and commemoration reveal, the extraordinary relationship between Kobe and the city, and how he continues to inspire his fans.

The film follows one artist in particular, Gustavo Zermeño Jr. as he creates a Kobe Bryant mural as a way of dealing with the loss of a legend, and cementing his determination to live his life with the Mamba Mentality Kobe Bryant represented. 

As Gus creates his artwork, we travel through the city to meet other Angelenos who strive to carry the Kobe legacy forward in whatever they do. We see that Kobe’s influence reached immeasurably beyond basketball and touched the entire world as commemorated by the hundreds of murals painted in his honor.

The Orchestra Chuck Built
Directed by Christopher Stoudt
23 minutes • USA
In 2016, the League of American Orchestras conducted a study that revealed a shocking statistic: only 1.8% of the professional orchestra workforce in the US is Black. From an old church rec room in the inner city of Los Angeles, former lawyer-turned-conductor Chuck Dickerson is on a mission to change that. With his majority Black and Latino youth orchestra — the largest of its kind in the country — Chuck is creating life-changing opportunities for his community that did not previously exist. The Orchestra Chuck Built is a loving portrait of a tireless mentor and a testament to the transformative power of music.

Sponsors

Thursday August 24, 2023 7:00pm - 8:32pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A, Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

9:00pm CDT

Black Lens Spotlight Night : Bingo
Join us for Black Lens Bingo, hosted by T. Marie King. Bring a friend, make new friends, win cool prizes.

Thursday August 24, 2023 9:00pm - 10:30pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Bar
 
Friday, August 25
 

5:00pm CDT

Opening Night Pre-Party
Friday August 25, 2023 5:00pm - 7:00pm CDT
'1800 Block of 3rd Ave. N. '

7:00pm CDT

25th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival Opening Night: Art For Everybody
You’ve seen his cozy cottages, idyllic gardens, and welcoming village streets on everything from canvas to commemorative plates. Both celebrated and disparaged for his kitschy signature settings, the “Painter of Light” Thomas Kinkade rocketed to popularity in the ‘90s by marketing himself to American evangelicals and pitting himself against the elite art establishment. Yet beneath the pristine public persona were demons that would drive him to alcoholism, scandal, and death from an overdose in 2012. After his passing, Kinkade’s daughters uncovered a trove of unseen, unexpectedly dark paintings, a discovery that launched an investigation into their father’s true personality. Through the voices of skeptical critics, adoring fans, and Kinkade’s closest friends and family, ART FOR EVERYBODY digs deep into Kinkade’s life and work to elucidate the real man behind the persona. Accomplished editor Miranda Yousef’s directorial debut is an insightful documentary that peels back the layers of Kinkade’s facade, delivering a portrait of a complex man divided by the same forces that continue to pull us apart as a nation.

Artists

Friday August 25, 2023 7:00pm - 9:00pm CDT
Alabama Theatre

9:00pm CDT

Opening Night After Party
Friday August 25, 2023 9:00pm - Saturday August 26, 2023 1:00am CDT
'1800 Block of 3rd Ave. N. '

10:00pm CDT

Opening Night After Dark: Hello Dankness
Assembling hundreds of film clips and media images, artist duo Soda Jerk's narration about the changes undergone by American society since Trump, while relishing in reflecting on contemporary cultural values.

Artists

Friday August 25, 2023 10:00pm - 11:10pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A, Sidewalk Cinema Theater B
 
Saturday, August 26
 

10:00am CDT

Passages
A gay couple's marriage is thrown into crisis when one of them impulsively begins a passionate affair with a young woman.

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 10:00am - 11:31am CDT
ASFA Dorothy Jemison Day Theater

10:00am CDT

Chasing Chasing Amy
A documentary that examines the complex legacy of Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy (1997) on LGBTQ+ people and its life-saving impact on director Sav Rodgers.

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 10:00am - 11:35am CDT
First Church Birmingham

10:00am CDT

Earth Mama
With two children in foster care, Gia, a pregnant single mother pitted against the system, fights to reclaim her family. In her close-knit Bay Area community, she works to make a life for herself and her kids.


Saturday August 26, 2023 10:00am - 11:40am CDT
BJCC Forum Theater

10:00am CDT

Saturday Morning Cartoons
For the 11th year in a row Sidewalk programmers have compiled an awesome selection of 1980s and 90s cartoons and vintage commercials for the start of your Sidewalk weekend. To accompany the fun-packed screening there will be a free cereal bar (and beyond). So launch into your 2023 festival weekend the right way, by loading up on carbs, crazy cartoon antics and good company. Fun for all ages!

Saturday August 26, 2023 10:00am - 11:40am CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A, Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

10:00am CDT

Episodic Shorts
Let's Be Clear
Directed By Gabriella Canal
5 Minutes • USA
Every data point tells a story. Our Let’s Be Clear campaign is about humanizing data by telling real stories about real people. We do this through 8 unique videos from various sides of the system, including a Judge who is reimagining what justice looks like in Selma, Alabama. Together, these stories are designed to demonstrate the power of criminal justice data to inform and inspire change. Watch the trailer: https://measuresforjustice.org/lets-be-clear/. Why are we doing this? Because we believe that when everyone has equal access to good data, we can help reshape the criminal justice system.
Let’s be clear: criminal justice data has a story to tell.

Thornton Dial
Directed by Lisa Cordes
27 Minutes • USA
Monograph's special broadcast documentary paying tribute to one of Alabama’s most prolific vernacular artists, the late Thornton Dial. Join Jackie Clay as she spends time with Thornton Dial’s family and speaks with Dial’s friend, fellow artist Lonnie Holley. Together they discuss Thornton Dial’s life, his art, and his legacy. Though Dial’s work has showcased in solo exhibits across the nation, Monograph is thrilled to cover Dial’s premiere large-scale solo exhibit in his home state at UAB’s Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts. Come join us in celebration of one of the most creative minds to emerge from Alabama.

Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Stroy
Directed by William Joseph Stribling
19 Minutes • USA
In this modernized, comedic update on the Washington Irving classic short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” awkward science teacher Ichabod Crane finds himself roommates with the legendary Headless Horseman and must embark on a journey to find his new friend’s old head while discovering himself along the way.

Going Somewhere with Matt Davis
Directed by Matt Davis
10 Minutes • USA
On a tug boat off the coast of Costa Rica a 3,000 year old unicorn with a superiority complex (Jati) plays the role of unchecked imagination and intrusive thoughts to the boat's only inhabitant (Matt). Explicitly aristophanic in parts, the series is a colorful and sophomoric approach to larger abstract concepts. The show uses a playhouse style, scenes within scenes, and unapologetically esoteric dialogue. For some, it leaves them wondering what or who is the butt of the joke. For others, its just a dude, a unicorn, and an artist commune of dildos living their best life on a tugboat."

Hit Man: Ep 1: Secrets of Lies
Directed by Elias Plagianos
20 Minutes • USA
A lonely hitman from New York City travels to small towns around the country trying to find meaning in his inconsequential life as he fulfills his contracts and eliminates his targets. Based on the best selling "Hit Man" book series by Grand Master of mystery Lawrence Block. Starring Richard Kind, Karen Allen, William Sadler, and Peter Riegert.

That Picnic Show With Nancy
Directed by Nancy Tran, Whitney Hamilton
8 Minutes • USA
Nancy picnics with locals and celebrities who share their leisurely pursuits.

Palookaville
Directed by Theodore Collatos
17 Minutes • USA
Things get turned upside down when JoJo is attacked and wakes up believing he’s Joe Louis - one of boxings greatest legends...



Saturday August 26, 2023 10:00am - 11:44am CDT
Birmingham Museum of Art

10:00am CDT

Teen Shorts
Space Blood
Directed by Chris Chaei
10 minutes • USA
Tori must protect her brother, Julian, from an assassin and his men.

The Mysterious Case of Harrison Hanson
Directed by Allison Murphy
9 minutes • USA
A student goes missing after the homecoming Dance and a detective interviews the last 5 people to see him.

GL Sports Shoes 
Directed by Chris Chaei
4 minutes • USA
N/A

Room
Directed by Ian Dani Kim
10 minutes • USA
A teenager struggles with depression and social anxiety, expressing it through locking himself in his imaginary room where his life plays out. The film is shown from the boy’s perspective in his “room” showing how real life events affect him in it. Since the pandemic began, many teenagers have experienced feelings of isolation and some of them still struggle to overcome their depression even after the pandemic subsides as this boy can't get out of his psychological lockdown.

Uncensored 
Directed by Jaela Ellis
6 minutes • USA
Jaidyn is a black girl who is met with countless overwhelming microaggressions at her majority white school. When her white project partner asks her a question in class, Jaidyn responds normally, but her project partner calls her “rude” and “aggressive”. Her best friend also tells her she was being rude and this causes her to question her response. As these instances progress throughout her day, she gets more confused as to why people are targeting her and calling her aggressive. Even though she represses her true thoughts and reactions and tries to avoid being "aggressive", she is still receiving the same reactions from her classmates. Despite her mom telling her not to let it bother her, Jaidyn decides to make sure that she is extra nice to everyone the next day. She tries everything that she can to prevent these reactions by changing the way she dresses and acts. Still, her white peers tell her that she is being “angry” and “aggressive”. Jaidyn finally reaches a breaking point after being called out by a teacher for her behavior and goes off in front of her class. She gains the confidence to express her true feelings despite everyone else’s opinions, and the few other black girls in her class show her support and validation by clapping at the end of her speech.

Haroldson and Associates Employee Training Video
Directed by Cooper Whiteshield
8 minutes • USA
A lost employee training tape for an 80s grocery store chains uncovers the dark truth about the company's business practices.

Lucky Encounter 
Directed by Kian Doughty, Ben Cicilian
6 minutes • USA
A down on his luck elderly man stumbles upon an easy way out. But the repercussions of his actions are more terrifying than he could ever imagine.

Cottage Hill
Directed by Chris Chaei
4 minutes • USA
Marland reveals his feelings after his best friend, Ruth, leaves him.

Ausen†e
Directed by Maria Fernanda Mendoza
8 minutes • USA
A family of four has been broken down by the disappearance of the eldest daughter, Adela attempts to find out what really happened to her sibling through a special sisterly bond.

(Un)alarmed 
Directed by Logan Westin
5 minutes • USA
Derek, a young man indebted to his sleep and schoolwork fractures his perception of reality as his association of alarm and anxiety is numbed by the repetition of his stresses.

Ovaryacting
Directed by Jordan Held
5 minutes • USA
A young man must face his fears to make a personal purchase.

Cringe: A Teen Drama
Directed by Sam Smith, Patrick Thomley, Sabrina Palmer, Andy Barksdale
5 minutes • USA
A teenage boy learns that he has been voted most cringe in his senior yearbook and he sets out to change his fate.

In Her Silence
Directed by Sidewalk Youth Board
8 minutes • USA
N/A

Dry Desert Plants Warm My Heart 
Directed by Wyatt Kane Johnson
6 minutes • USA
A man with a boring life and only an “employee of the month” certificate to be proud of soon finds a new love and pride in a mysterious pile of boxes that appear outside of his house. A sweet, comforting watch about finding meaning in life.

The Greatest of These
Directed by Campbell Pate
21 minutes • USA
N/A


Saturday August 26, 2023 10:00am - 11:55am CDT
Kress Building Ballroom (former RMTC)

10:10am CDT

Saturday Alabama Documentary Shorts
Driven By Design: Inside Crimson 
Directed by Angel Caro
7 minutes • USA
Lead EV engineer Chris Rodriguez gives an inside look into crimson racing, where his team develops and test fully functional F1 style vehicles, including the design of the first fully electric race car in their school's history. One of the first documentaries in world history to feature ai animation.

Ann Hodges and The Alabama Meteorite
Directed by Anissa Latham
6 minutes • USA
In 1954, a woman from Sylacauga, Alabama was hit by a meteorite. To this day, she's still the only person to get hit and be able to live to tell the story.

Remembering John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital
Directed by Theo M Moore
20 minutes • USA
The Community of Tuskegee, Alabama reflects on the legacy of John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital and the drastic changes after the hospital closed in 1987.

Pete Datcher: Keeping the Past Present
Directed by Anissa Latham
6 minutes • USA
Peter Datcher, a farmer-turned-family-historian from Harpersville, Alabama keeps the stories of his ancestors alive within the home that they grew up in.

The Volunteer
Directed by David Brodie
35 minutes • USA
THE VOLUNTEER tells the story of Bruce and LV’s fifty year search for each other, and Bruce’s struggle to come to grips with his guilt, trauma, and anger about the past. It’s a conversation about American identity and the way the powerful exploit prejudice to gain power.

Warrior Retreat 
Directed by Drew Callner
27 minutes • USA
Combat Veterans from Alabama attend a Warrior's Retreat where they discuss trauma, support, and the journey finding a new identity.


Saturday August 26, 2023 10:10am - 11:51am CDT
BJCC Theatre

10:15am CDT

Restoration: The Life and Stories of the Lyric Theatre
In the early 1900s an exquisite theater is thriving as part of America's foremost vaudeville circuit. When a single event sparks the demise of vaudeville, the theater disappears for 40 years, only to be revived 100 years after its opening.

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 10:15am - 11:12am CDT
Lyric Theatre

10:30am CDT

Sidewrite Table Reads
Hear the winning scripts of the 2023 Sidewrite screenplay competition. We will be reading our short screenplay winners and selections from our feature screenplay winners. Featuring a cast of local actors.

- Best Feature: Bike Lane Ends by Noah Glenn
- Best Alabama Feature: SCRAPS by Ryan Nordin & Matthew Francis
- Best Short: She Hath Come by Cat Dale
- Best Alabama Short: The Last Stop by Keara McGee

Speakers

Saturday August 26, 2023 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
ASFA Lecture Hall

10:30am CDT

Black Barbie
A personal exploration that tells a richly archival, thought-provoking story that gives voice to the insights and experiences of Beulah Mae Mitchell, the aunt of the Los Angeles-based filmmaker, who spent 45-years working at Mattel. Upon Mattel’s 1980 release of Black Barbie, the film turns to the intergenerational impact the doll had. Discussing how the absence of black images in the “social mirror” left Black girls with little other than White subjects for self-reflection and self-projection. Beulah Mae Mitchell and other Black women in the film talk about their own, complex, varied experience of not seeing themselves represented, and how Black Barbie’s transformative arrival affected them personally.

Artists
Sponsors
avatar for The VAL Group

The VAL Group

President, The VAL Group


Saturday August 26, 2023 10:30am - 12:10pm CDT
Alabama Theatre

12:00pm CDT

VIP Lounge
VIP, filmmaker, sponsor, and industry pass holders are welcome to join us in the VIP Lounge for complimentary beverages and snacks, plus, cool air conditioning, private restrooms, comfy seating, and rooftop games.

Saturday August 26, 2023 12:00pm - 6:00pm CDT
Kress Building Penthouse and Rooftop

12:20pm CDT

Family Shorts
I'm not afraid
Directed by Marita Mayer
7 minutes • Norway
During a game of hide and seek Vanja leaves the bright living room and enters a dimly lit courtyard, which has far too many dark corners, weird shadows and strange noises. To overcome the fear, Vanja turns into a dangerous tiger!

Addie & Lightning Bugs
Directed by Alexander Jeffery
17 minutes • USA
Starring Cailey Fleming from The Walking Dead and The Force Awakens. In the damp heat of a southern summer, a young girl finds out that her family is moving to a new city. As Addie hatches a plan to stay put, she seeks solace in the mysterious lightning bugs in her backyard.

Brown Sugar
Directed by Ruhi Radke
13 minutes • USA
On the day of her 12th birthday, Rue starts questioning beauty standards and how they apply to her.

Lovebird
Directed by Parker A. Yarborough
1 minutes • USA
A bird travels through a strange world. Animated using photos of real birds and illustrations from old books.

The Struggle for Inner Peace
Directed by Jacob Mitchell Dew
5 minutes • USA
The Struggle for Inner Peace is a story about a small dragon boy, named Rhogar. The piece follows Rhogar on a journey of self-discovery throughout different stages of his life. At a young age we see Rhogar is ruthlessly bullied by the people in his town, so he seeks a way to defend himself. This leads him to the Master, a wizened instructor in martial arts who teaches him how to fight and protect himself. During his training, Rhogar learns to find his own inner peace and move beyond the pain of his past.

Microaggression
Directed by Da'Vanah McDaniels
6 minutes • USA
Micro-Aggression is an animated story about an evil scientist, Doctor Vyle, and his obnoxious next door neighbor, Tommy Joe. After Tommy Joe is caught red-handed stealing pizza out of the villain's refrigerator, he tries to deter Vyle's rage with a challenge to fix a defective microwave. Doctor Vyle soon comes to realize that he can only turn the microwave into weapons of dastardly doom.

TikTok Challenged
Directed by Ivan Rome
9 minutes • USA
Claretha, a soap opera-loving grandmother, has always dreamed of being a star, and she's finally got her chance. TIKTOK. She's gonna go viral baby! BUT, she needs a little help from her grandson, Daryl, who didn't plan to spend the day teaching his grandma how to do a TikTok dance. Will they be able to successfully make a TikTok? Maybe. Will their TikTok go viral? Who knows! But, watching the two of them struggle through this challenge together will be a fun ride filled with peach cobbler, Hollywood dreams, and a whole lot of funky dancing.

Danceable
Directed by Kelsey McGee
23 minutes • USA
Three dancers with disabilities find freedom through movement.

Handwritten
Directed by Jaime Sunwoo
9 minutes • USA
After discovering old diaries and notebooks, artist Jaime Sunwoo examines her shapeshifting penmanship and wonders why she's never had a consistent style. Through playful paper puppetry and animation, she reflects on what handwriting means to her personally, its significance throughout history, and its relevance in our computerized world.

The Life and Times of Schrodinger's Cat: A Quantum Tale of Love and Entanglement
Directed by Ron Noble
12 minutes • USA
Physicist Erwin Schrodinger's famous thought experiment comes to life in this quantum mechanical adventure as the iconic Cat quests for his heritage, his identity, and his creator. For anyone who has ever pondered the mysteries of life and death, time travel and eternity, and the paradox and possibility of parallel realities, this brilliantly animated pilot and subsequent series will offer viewers of all ages light-hearted insight and hope.

Saturday August 26, 2023 12:20pm - 2:02pm CDT
First Church Birmingham

12:30pm CDT

Breaking Barriers: Black Women in Film, Television, and Media
“Breaking Barriers: Black Women in Film, Television, and Media” is an empowering panel created to inspire artists who are eager to elevate their careers to new heights. This panel will not only showcase the accomplishments of remarkable individuals but also provide practical advice and guidance for navigating the industry. This panel brings together a diverse array of Black women from local communities and across the country, each with unique roles and expertise in the film, television, and media industries.


Saturday August 26, 2023 12:30pm - 1:15pm CDT
ASFA Vulcan Materials Gallery

12:30pm CDT

Free Time
Approaching the end of his twenties and his relative youth, a man decides to quit his cushy desk job and "embrace life" — only to realize he has no idea what to do with this newfound freedom.


Saturday August 26, 2023 12:30pm - 1:47pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

12:30pm CDT

The Cut
In the old West cattle boom of the 1870s, one horse emerged as exceptional: the cutting horse. Today that same horse generates millions in prize money, but a quickly changing culture finds the heirs of those frontier people and horses in a fight to preserve the skills and values born on the range.
The history of cutting and its present orbits around one man, Buster Welch. The Cut follows Buster’s story from childhood to discover how the cutting horse culture inspired, motivated and sustained him. Viewers see his passion for preserving the values represented by the cutting horse as he passes his philosophies to younger generations. But will the old ways still win in this modern sport?


Saturday August 26, 2023 12:30pm - 2:16pm CDT
Birmingham Museum of Art

12:30pm CDT

Poetic Justice (1993)
Grieving hairdresser Justice goes on a road trip from South Central L.A. to Oakland on a mail truck alongside her friend and an obnoxious postal worker. Join us for a special 30th anniversary screening of John Singleton's classic starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur.

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 12:30pm - 2:19pm CDT
ASFA Dorothy Jemison Day Theater

12:30pm CDT

Saturday Documentary Shorts
A Call to Action: The Freedom Budget of 1966 
Directed by Jenny Alexander
8 minutes • USA
"A Call to Action: The Freedom Budget of 1966" tells the story of a little known grassroots push for guaranteed income during the civil rights movement.

Justice for Batman: The Mark Racop Case 
Directed by Aidan Merck
13 minutes • USA
Mark Racop, a batmobile maker from Indiana, is accused and raided by California police while being forced into a criminal court case.

Safe Place
Directed by Samuel-Ali Mirpoorian
20 minutes • USA
A Southern Indiana man endures a fatal night of torture after being arrested for a routine traffic stop.

The Foundry
Directed by Robert Machoian
6 minutes • USA
A five-minute piece of cinematic poetry, with no dialogue, where images of the people working in a Nephi, Utah, foundry convey the multifaceted metaphor of life as a pressure machine.

Jack & Sam
Directed by Jordan Matthew Horowitz
21 minutes • USA
"Jack and Sam" is a poignant documentary about two Holocaust survivors miraculously reunited after 80 years. Now in their late 90s, they are spending the precious time they have left rekindling their friendship and teaching others about the dangers of hatred. This heartwarming story explores the enduring power of connection and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Bendix: Site Unseen
Directed by Anthony Scalia
26 minutes • USA
Surrounded by highway traffic sits the unassuming Bendix Diner, owned and operated by John Diakakis. As the blind, single father of three young children who also work at the diner, John attempts to address and overcome his obstacles in order to provide a better life for his family.

Kylie 
Directed by Sterling Hampton
6 minutes • USA
A young Black ballerina expresses her passion and pain as a dancer in the ballet community while performing in the inner-city neighborhoods of Los Angeles.

A.I. Art
Directed by William Green
6 minutes • USA
With the advancement in Artificial Intelligence, art has been at the forefront of the discussion. If A.I. can produce images, what does that make of the artist?

The Blake
Directed by Courtney Sposato, Mark Sposato
15 minutes • USA
In 1995, an elementary school art teacher converted an old bus into a replica of the Challenger space shuttle and used it as a science laboratory to teach kids about space. This cinematic memoir explores the filmmaker’s childhood experience with the shuttle and how it helped her cope with a huge loss.

Saturday August 26, 2023 12:30pm - 2:27pm CDT
BJCC Forum Theater

12:40pm CDT

Mississippi River Styx
An enigmatic drifter with terminal cancer lives his dream of floating the Mississippi River on a ramshackle houseboat — until locals start to question his story.


Saturday August 26, 2023 12:40pm - 2:05pm CDT
Kress Building Ballroom (former RMTC)

12:40pm CDT

Saturday Narrative Shorts
Astonishing Little Feet
Directed by Maegan A Houang
9 Minutes • USA
Maegan Houang is a writer/director based in Michigan and Los Angeles. She most recently served as a co-producer on The Sympathizer, wrote episodes for Counterpart and Shōgun, and co-wrote Justin Chon's feature Jamojaya which premiered at Sundance 2023. She is currently writing Nekrokosm, Panos Cosmatos' (Mandy) next feature. Maegan has also directed music videos for artists such as Mitski, Vagabon, Hana Vu, Charly Bliss and Skylar Spence. Her short film In Full Bloom starring Kieu Chinh (The Joy Luck Club) premiered on Short of the Week and played at various film festivals including Fantastic Film Festival, Atlanta, New Orleans, Nite Hawk, Indie Memphis, Hollyshorts and many others.

Antisemite
Directed by Michelle Bossy
13 Minutes • USA
Seth, a college senior, is home for winter break. He’s spending a day relaxing and shopping on Fairfax Avenue when he’s suddenly confronted by an Orthodox Jewish man asking Seth if he’s Jewish. Seth’s chance encounter leads to a profound spiritual experience with life-changing implications.

Good Grief
Directed by Ash Blodgett
9 Minutes • USA
In search of closure, a young woman attempts to spread her father's ashes on a remote sea cliff but an unexpected encounter leads her to the only person who might just understand her grief.

Oddities 
Directed by Tyler Savage
15 Minutes • USA
When a drugged-out duo attempts to rob an antique store, they realize the older woman running the shop isn't as defenseless as she seems...

Toast
Directed by Doug Riggs
5 Minutes • USA
An exercise in shutting down the frontal lobe during the writing process in hopes of catching lighting in a bottle, both in the written word and corresponding imagery.

Backlog
Directed by Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal
18 Minutes • USA
The true story of a young collegiate woman who tried to find justice for three years for her shelved rape kit—only to become the key witness in the Senate hearing to end the rape kit backlog. Can she trust the system that betrayed her? In 2006, Mallory Newell (all names changed) was brutally assaulted and date-raped on her 21st birthday. The next day, she underwent a painful scientific 4-6 hour medical examination to collect clinical evidence. But because of the bureaucracy of the justice system, the police shelved her evidence and evaded her for almost two years, claiming the case to be “unwinnable.” But Mallory continued to help survivors, working at a rape treatment crisis center, where she is asked to advocate to end the Rape Kit Backlogs. Eventually, she finds insurmountable courage to become the key witness at the Senate Judiciary hearing in 2010.

A Mind Cannot Touch 
Directed by Geoffrey Prather
15 Minutes • USA
A Mind Cannot Touch is a short film about loss and how one grieving mother will go to any lengths to bring her daughter back from the dead. The film asks, "What if you could bring a loved one back after their physical body has died?" and explores the moral implications of this hypothetical. A Mind Cannot Touch is a sci-fi drama about a mother, LEDA, who uses her expertise in neuroscience to bring her deceased daughter, AIRLIA, back from the grave as a sentient hologram—complete with Airlia's memories and consciousness via mind uploading. Not wanting her daughter to know that she died, Leda decides to lie to Airlia and say she merely recovered from a long-term illness... but how long can she keep up this charade when her daughter will never again be able to grow, taste and touch? And what happens when Airlia discovers the truth? Will she even want that kind of life?

Shut Up & Fish
Directed by Raul Sanchez, Pasquel Gutierrez
13 Minutes • USA
"Shut Up & Fish", by directing duo Cliqua, crafts evocative and bold coming-of-age vignettes on the trending Los Angeles Latino youth culture. The themes of the film's immersion orbit social identity, belonging, and the emergence of authentic character.

Never Fuggedaboutit
Directed by Dustin Waldman
12 Minutes • USA
Amid the high anxiety of post-9/11 NYC, a struggling post-production house is hired to remove a shot of the twin towers from the intro to a hit TV show.

Saturday August 26, 2023 12:40pm - 2:29pm CDT
BJCC Theatre

12:45pm CDT

Introduction to TV Writing and TV Fellowships
Television writing is an art and practice all its own, similar to but also distinguishable from writing for feature films. In this panel, attendees will learn foundational concepts of TV writing and then transition into best practices for applying for competitive TV writing fellowships, which can provide a fantastic entry point into the entertainment industry.
Participants are encouraged to bring a sample of a personal essay for the opportunity for live feedback.

Speakers

Saturday August 26, 2023 12:45pm - 2:15pm CDT
ASFA Lecture Hall

12:45pm CDT

SideTalks Live!
Join us for a live taping of the SideTalks podcast, with Sidewalk creative director Rachel Morgan and features programmer Corey Craft.


Saturday August 26, 2023 12:45pm - 2:15pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

12:45pm CDT

Past Lives
Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny.


Saturday August 26, 2023 12:45pm - 2:31pm CDT
Lyric Theatre

1:00pm CDT

Maestra
This documentary portrait follows five international women as they prepare for and perform in "La Maestra," the only competition in the world for female orchestra conductors. Personal stories of survival, passion and perseverance are woven together with the drama and excitement of this one-of-a-kind event created to break yet another glass ceiling for women.


Saturday August 26, 2023 1:00pm - 2:28pm CDT
Alabama Theatre

2:00pm CDT

Surviving Today’s Indie Film Landscape with the Team from Don’t Die
Making a movie is hard—especially when you don’t have tons of money and studio support. But independent filmmakers have always been resilient, and there are more ways than ever to make a feature film these days. In the case of Don’t Die, the movie’s title became the production team’s rallying cry. Join the producers, writers, director, and star of Don’t Die as they discuss their experience working with available resources, recruiting professional actors, writing a business plan, tracking down investors, and shooting nearby in Alabama and Tennessee, all by prioritizing people and safety first.


Saturday August 26, 2023 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
ASFA Vulcan Materials Gallery

2:35pm CDT

Nathan-ism
At the end of World War II, Nathan Hilu, an 18-year-old Jewish US Army private from New York, was assigned to guard the top Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg Trials. For one year, Hilu kept suicide watch over Hermann Göring and Albert Speer and learned first-hand about the men and their crimes. Speer himself instructed Hilu to "…keep your eyes open and write what you see here..." With brutish lines and annotated pastel sketches, Hilu obsessively documented those memories for the next 70 years. Now in his 90s, Hilu still compulsively animates the very same stories. Filmmaker Elan Golod proposes a documentary portrait of the aging artist but what begins as a peek at a unique witness to history grows into an absorbing study of the function of art as archive and invention. Daring to question an artist’s stories, "Nathan-ism" is a fascinating look at one man’s need to share truths with a world that doesn’t always want to listen.

Artists
Sponsors

Saturday August 26, 2023 2:35pm - 3:54pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

2:45pm CDT

Film is for Everyone: Getting Started in the Industry
The film industry is bursting with opportunities for crew members, support services, and location owners. In addition to office and on set positions, the film industry also works with frequent vendors - hotels, office supplies, caterers, etc. Productions are also in need of locations - average and unique - for filming. These can be houses, restaurants, offices, rivers, and more. No matter who you are and what your experience may be, there is an opportunity for you. Come find it. 

Speakers

Saturday August 26, 2023 2:45pm - 3:30pm CDT
ASFA Lecture Hall

2:45pm CDT

Last Flight Home (2022)
On an unremarkable suburban street, we find Eli Timoner in his final days and discover an extraordinary life, one filled with wild achievements, tragic loss and above all, enduring love from his incredibly close-knit family. "Last Flight Home" shares a heart-wrenching and stunning verité account of a family courageously facing both life and death. Join us for a special encore screening of the Emmy-nominated documentary with director Ondi Timoner

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 2:45pm - 4:26pm CDT
First Church Birmingham

2:50pm CDT

Buzzard (2014)
Paranoia forces small-time scam artist Marty to flee his hometown and hide out in a dangerous Detroit. With nothing but a pocket full of bogus checks, his Power Glove, and a bad temper, the horror metal slacker lashes out.

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 2:50pm - 4:27pm CDT
Kress Building Ballroom (former RMTC)

3:00pm CDT

The Contradictions of Fair Hope (2012)
This award-winning film, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, examines a little known aspect of African American history, when newly freed slaves throughout the South formed benevolent societies to respond to abject hunger, illness and the fear of a pauper's grave. But with time The Fair Hope Benevolent Society eventually struggles with a gradual loss of tradition. This special encore screening will feature a post-film discussion.

Artists
Sponsors
avatar for The VAL Group

The VAL Group

President, The VAL Group


Saturday August 26, 2023 3:00pm - 4:08pm CDT
Birmingham Museum of Art

3:00pm CDT

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Join us to remember the late great Paul Reubens with a special screening of Tim Burton's 1985 family classic. Pee-wee Herman (Reubens), an eccentric child-like man, loves his red bicycle and will not sell it to his envious neighbor, Francis (Mark Holton). While Pee-wee visits his friend Dottie (Elizabeth Daily), the bike is stolen. Thinking his bike is at the Alamo, Pee-wee sets off on a trip, where he meets many remarkable people, including waitress Simone (Diane Salinger) and a motorcycle gang. Eventually, Pee-wee discovers that his bike is being used in a movie and tries to recover it.

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

3:10pm CDT

Ship Happens
A "toxic relationship" unfolds between a 656 foot capsized ship loaded with 4200 vehicles and the small town residents of Saint Simons Island, Georgia who bear helpless witness to a two year salvage project gone awry in their otherwise idyllic island paradise.



Saturday August 26, 2023 3:10pm - 4:31pm CDT
ASFA Dorothy Jemison Day Theater

3:15pm CDT

Parachute
Follows Riley, who has recently been released from rehab after struggling with her addictions to food and body image. She will meet Ethan and finds herself navigating the line between love and a new addiction.

Artists
Sponsors

Saturday August 26, 2023 3:15pm - 4:52pm CDT
Lyric Theatre

3:15pm CDT

Saturday Alabama Narrative Shorts
A Thief
Directed by Steven Hedrick
5 minutes • USA
After learning of the rapture in church, a frightened young boy tries to obsessively protect his family from being taken to heaven. Featuring an original score by Mary Lattimore.

The Spirit Became Flesh
Directed by Jesse Aultman
18 minutes • USA
In the middle-of-nowhere Alabama, Sam returns to his deeply religious hometown to visit his sister. To his horror, Sam discovers that his old community has turned into a fanatic cult that worships a sinister monster residing in their woods. Through their disturbing rituals and unnerving sacrifices, Sam is cornered by his townspeople as they attempt to induct him into their faith. He realizes he must find out what this being is and how to tell his sister of its true nature.

The Smortal
Directed by Tim Casper
1 minute • USA
A jogger accepts an unexpected invitation transporting him to someplace exotic, colorful, and... pungent.

The System
Directed by Marcus January
10 minutes • USA
Achieving political success is achievable but at what cost.

Stay After The Credits!!!
Directed by Fletcher Ash
3 minutes • USA
N/A

The Year I Met You
Directed by Jay Galloway
13 minutes • USA
When Casey first met Lena, she thought little of it, but after a few more chance encounters, something more starts to develop.

This Town Ain't Big Enough For the Two of Us
Directed by Brody Burgess
6 minutes • USA
A classic western stand off takes a really weird turn. This was made as a part of Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema's October 2022 Super Sized Scramble.

Brian
Directed by Logan Freeman
10 minutes • USA
A chance encounter with a former lover forces a broken man to confront his past.

The Bridge Work In Progress
Directed by Liesa Cole
3 minutes • USA
A Poetry short film starring poet, Gabrielle Bates

Taxing the Sun
Directed by Gillian Harrill
24 minutes • USA
Why are Alabama's neighboring states so far ahead of Alabama when it comes to renewable energy? For decades Alabamians have “thanked God for Mississippi”, but that sentiment ends when we consider our right to choose our own sources of electricity. A few simple policy changes could remove existing barriers and voilà! Alabamians could have more options when it comes to where their electricity comes from. It’s time to stop taxing the sun and fight for Energy Freedom!

Asphyxia
Directed by Cole Johnson
7 minutes • USA
When a drug dealer discovers he is in danger, he must confront the physical and metaphysical forces that pursue him.

Backcountry
Directed by Ann Kathleen Williams
6 minutes • USA
Two children attempt to survive in the woods on their own.

Weather Girl
Directed by Gabriela Lopez
3 minutes • USA
A mysterious woman breaks into a lonely man's apartment.

Partners Partners
Directed by Myles Cain
5 minutes • USA
Statewide Scramble 2023 Audience Award Winner


Sponsors

Saturday August 26, 2023 3:15pm - 5:12pm CDT
BJCC Theatre

3:20pm CDT

Jasper Mall (2020)
Filmmakers Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb examine the economic hardships of a once-thriving mall in Jasper, Ala.


Saturday August 26, 2023 3:20pm - 4:45pm CDT
BJCC Forum Theater

3:40pm CDT

Nathan Avakian and the International Youth Silent Film Festival
The Alabama Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society presents Nathan Avakian & the International Youth Silent Film Festival
Locals know that the Alabama Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer is the engine that runs this block, but few festival-goers realize that the theatre organ is an integral part of cinema history. Organist Nathan Avakian will provide the soundtrack for a historic silent short, then accompany a selection of contemporary short films from the International Youth Silent Film Festival (IYSFF). The IYSFF inspires young filmmakers around the world to share their stories as they reinvent the art of silent film. Presented by the Alabama Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society.

Saturday August 26, 2023 3:40pm - 5:10pm CDT
Alabama Theatre

3:45pm CDT

Closest to the Problem, Closest to the Solution: Working in Partnership with Movement Leaders
Film storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for creating impact and social change, but we need to take a deeper look into who and what informs the films made today. In the history of the climate movement, documentary filmmaking can be largely extractive, especially in communities of color who have been on the frontlines of fighting the climate crisis. Film teams parachute in to document what’s happening, then return back to their edit suites to piece together a story through their perspective. How might we, as filmmakers, keep ourselves accountable to those who have been most impacted by the social issues we seek to change? We believe that filmmakers need to start by building long-term trust with frontline movements, because those closest to the problems are closest to the solutions. To make real lasting change, we have to start listening. Join a group of filmmakers and Southern climate organizers as they discuss the power of a movement-informed, collaborative approach in impact storytelling.


Saturday August 26, 2023 3:45pm - 4:45pm CDT
ASFA Vulcan Materials Gallery

4:15pm CDT

Creating Communities for Filmmakers Across the South with Indie Media Arts South
Indie Media Arts South is a regional collective of arts organizations, film festivals, and media makers working to strengthen the independent sector across the greater South, with a focus on equity and sustainability. Join IMAS members from across the South as they highlight ways that they build space for filmmakers in a variety of community spaces.


Saturday August 26, 2023 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
ASFA Lecture Hall

4:45pm CDT

Space Happy: Phil Thomas Katt and The Uncharted Zone
Space Happy: Phil Thomas Katt and The Uncharted Zone is a feature-length documentary about a group of ragtag artists making low-budget music videos in Pensacola, Florida under the direction of the eccentric Phil Thomas Katt. Spanning over five decades of footage, Space Happy is a portrayal of creative minds pursuing art against all odds.


Saturday August 26, 2023 4:45pm - 5:40pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

5:10pm CDT

The Philadelphia Eleven
In an act of civil disobedience, women who are called to be Episcopal priests organize their own ordination in defiance of church rules in 1974. Changing an institution based on 2,000 years of history is no small task. The women priests face death threats and harassment. Some lose friends, and others are banned from setting foot on church property. Their call becomes a public battle over who speaks the word of God, and a very personal journey. Despite the backlash, they successfully change the church by asserting their leadership and a vision for “a new way” on their own terms. In a civil rights story most people have never heard, we meet these trailblazers who succeed in creating a blueprint for lasting institutional change, and challenge the very essence of patriarchy within Christendom.


Saturday August 26, 2023 5:10pm - 6:36pm CDT
First Church Birmingham

5:20pm CDT

Dig! (2004)
After the alternative music boom of the early 1990s, two bands choose very different paths to fame. Portland, Oregon's the Dandy Warhols, led by the self-conscious and career-minded Courtney Taylor-Taylor, sign with a major label and score a radio hit. San Francisco's Brian Jonestown Massacre, fronted by the abrasive and unpredictable Anton Newcombe, seemingly go out of their way to impede their own rise to fame with a series of increasingly bizarre incidents, including onstage fistfights.

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 5:20pm - 7:10pm CDT
Kress Building Ballroom (former RMTC)

5:30pm CDT

Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn
This inspiring love story Executive Produced by Al Roker follows a self-described “poor, gay, Black man from North Philly” on his historic run for the United States Senate. But this race is about more than taking on the political competition. It’s about taking on an entire system.

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 5:30pm - 7:05pm CDT
BJCC Forum Theater

5:30pm CDT

Sorcery (Brujería)
On the remote island of Chiloé in the late 19th century, an Indigenous girl named Rosa lives and works with her father on a farm. When the foreman brutally turns on Rosa's father, she sets out for justice, seeking help from the king of a powerful organization of sorcerers.


Saturday August 26, 2023 5:30pm - 7:10pm CDT
ASFA Dorothy Jemison Day Theater

5:30pm CDT

Student Narrative Shorts
The Fatal Affair 
Directed by Carter Stoudt
11 minutes * USA
An unhinged husband tries to find a way to deal with his wife's infidelity in the only way he seemingly knows how. This thriller takes you through the day out of order allowing the story to unfold in a way that a chronological narrative would not. Also, enjoy the Day for Night (D4N) editing technique for the night sequences!

Pancakes
Directed by Gabrielle Marie Chapman
6 minutes * USA
A free-spirited young woman has a one-night chance encounter with a groom, leading to something much deeper than the classic bachelor trip hookup.

Pickersville House of Talent
Directed by Breck Cuddy
15 minutes * USA
In this short mockumentary, a small town Midwestern wanna-be virtuoso struggles to open a "Talent House" in order to show everyone in the “big, bing-bong cities" that talent can come from ANYWHERE!

All The Little Impossibles
Directed by Zan Miray Lapp
17 minutes * USA
"All The Little Impossibles" tells the story of Zoe, a teen girl suffering from hypervisual anxiety and vivid visions of death. Zoe has never told anyone about her anxieties, but when she becomes secluded on a camping trip with her friends and her visions worsen, she must find a way to tell her loved ones what she sees. Suggested ages 13+ for fear, depictions of death, and language.

Until It Does
Sydney Noelle Stephenson
4 minutes * USA
"Until It Does" follows a day of a girl who's life is quickly changed by issues we are facing in 2023.

Real Friends
Directed by John Hanninen
13 minutes * USA
Real Friends is the story of Andrew, a college kid with no friends, who finally meets one online but his stern father doesn’t understand it so he tries to ruin it.

Jabari's Log
Directed by Tyson D Evans
15 minutes * USA
"Jabari is a college student getting ready to embark on a new journey in his life. He is set to leave for the summer for this out-of-state internship opportunity at this big media company. His girlfriend Cameron is having difficulty accepting that he is going soon, so she vows to make the best of every moment they have.

One night, she takes him on a journey, which starts off innocent, but quickly becomes intense as Jabari and Cameron find themselves face-to-face with an unwanted fate."

Work Life
Directed by Kevin Ung
14 minutes * USA
Four corporate co-workers unknowingly cross paths during a chaotic weekend that leaves their lives intertwined through improbable twists of fate.

Mrs. American Pie
Directed by Kailey Jordan New
12 minutes * USA
Brenda's estranged husband is out of town, again. Fulfilling her southern housewife duties, Brenda spends the day baking a delicious cherry pie. While gathering ingredients, Brenda glances out the window to see Tom, her neighbor who she has been having an affair with, and his family. Overwhelmed with memories of their passionate moments turned sour from multiple arguments, Brenda wants revenge for her broken heart and his broken promise. Grabbing a dusty caution marked bottle marked from under the sink, Brenda adds an extra ingredient into her dessert and concocts a plan to pay Tom a visit. A visit that will unfortunately not go as planned for either of the two lovers.

Ofrenda
Directed by Tyler Garcia
15 minutes * USA
A young woman finds herself at odds with grief and tradition as she prepares for Dia de los Muertos



Saturday August 26, 2023 5:30pm - 7:32pm CDT
Birmingham Museum of Art

5:40pm CDT

V A R I A N Γ
A lethal alien embryo is used by a deranged man to release a new infection that exceeds the malignancy of Havoc virus, raising the mutant dead from their graves, and unleashing a new breed of alien terror.

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 5:40pm - 6:22pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

5:45pm CDT

Sleep In Cinema (a Substrate Radio program) presents No Longer Silent: Symbol of the Unconquered (1920)
No Longer Silent is an opportunity to highlight significant and historic silent films with live accompaniment from local music talent to create a one of a kind experience. This panel will consist of the first 30 minutes of the film The Symbol of the Unconquered scored and played live by Patrick Johnson, which will be followed by a discussion about the scoring process and the themes and ideas presented in the film lead by Gareth Jones.
“The Symbol of the Unconquered” unmasks the Ku Klux Klan through the story of two neighbors: Evon, a white-passing Black woman, and Hugh, a Black settler who struggles to retain possession of his land as the KKK provoke violence and intimidation. Written, produced, and directed by Oscar Micheaux


Saturday August 26, 2023 5:45pm - 6:45pm CDT
ASFA Lecture Hall

5:45pm CDT

Birth/Rebirth
A morgue technician successfully reanimates the body of a little girl, but she must harvest biological materials from pregnant women to keep the child breathing. When the girl's mother, a nurse, discovers her baby is alive, the two enter into a deal that forces them both down a dark path.

Artists
Sponsors

Saturday August 26, 2023 5:45pm - 7:23pm CDT
Lyric Theatre

6:00pm CDT

Queens of Birmingham
Queens of Birmingham
Directed by Ryan Rothmaier
30 Minutes • USA
We join several Magic City queens at the Birmingham area's preeminent drag club, Al’s on Seventh, as they prepare for their weekend performance. This week comes with added pressure as everyone will be attending the Mystic Krewe of Apollo Ball on Saturday night; it’s a queer Mardis Gras celebration that unites the queer community and its allies.


Saturday August 26, 2023 6:00pm - 7:10pm CDT
Alabama Theatre

6:05pm CDT

Animated Shorts
My Dear Mr. Whitman
Directed by Jeremiah Dickey
2 minutes • USA
This animated excerpt from documentary series "Queer for Fear" illustrates an 1872 letter of adoration sent to American poet Walt Whitman by a young British writer named Bram Stoker, years before he would find fame as the author of the novel "Dracula." The letter has since become the focus of much historical conjecture.

There's a Bison on The Prairie
Directed by Morgan Miller
7 minutes • USA
A short film about existence and sentience. Satirical in tone, the film chronicles evolution and the development of the carnivore.

American Sikh
Directed by Vishavjit Singh, Ryan Wesra
10 minutes • USA
The animated true story of a turban-wearing American Sikh, who after a lifetime of facing prejudice, self-doubt and violence, finally finds acceptance in a superhero costume.

Regular Rabbit
Directed by Eoin Diffy
8 minutes • Ireland
With story and visuals purposefully separated, a Regular Rabbit battles a comically absurd onslaught of disinformation. He is not the nightmare being told. He is as shown, a regular ol’ stupid rabbit doing his usual rabbit stuff! The narrator is full of s#!t!! How is this so hard to believe?! Fake news!! Where’s the evidence?! Agh!!! He is nothing more than a Regular Rabbit!

AIKĀNE
Directed by Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson
14 minutes • USA
A valiant island warrior, wounded in battle against foreign invaders, falls deep into a mysterious underwater world. Everything changes when the octopus who rescues him transforms into a handsome young man.

Purple Hours
Directed by Vaughn Oeth
3 minutes • USA
A regency-era ball is being held, but the host, Edwin, is nowhere to be found. Sequestered in his private study downstairs, he dances with his partner, Pascal, and they bask in each other's company - until Pascal asks a question Edwin wasn’t ready to answer.

Where's Your Barbie?
Directed by Travis Vermilye
2 minutes • USA
As kids, most of us played with store-bought toys. Bombarded with commercials for toys during Saturday morning cartoons, we began our initiation into American consumerism via the desire to have the latest and greatest toy trends from Barbie and GI Joe to Transformers and My Little Pony. Do you still have your toys? Probably not. What happened to them? Where did they wind up? Where's your Barbie? This piece questions not only the final resting place of our playthings but also our impact on the earth through pollution, particularly with plastic. It is sad to think that something we love so dearly as a child might wind up in the ocean or as part of the great pacific garbage patch, but this is the harsh reality.

Craven Gap
Directed by Jonathan Furnell
4 minutes • USA
A newlywed couple drifts off to sleep in a cozy cabin, only to be awakened by a terrible noise...An Appalachian folktale brought to life.

Sundrop
Directed by Anna Sirk-Morato
5 minutes • USA
The Sundrop is a short 5-minute 2D animated film that tells the story of a robot named Sam. Who, after the sun disappears one day and plunges the world into darkness, finds one last bit of light. She attempts to help using it until others try to steal it from her.

The Computer Cube
Directed by Alex Kropinak, Anna Rubanova, Adam Bozarth
3 minutes • USA
A man struggling to finish some work inadvertently gives his computer sentience.

Porta Party
Directed by John T. Hill
3 minutes • USA
Completed in 48 hours for the "Statewide Scramble" 2023 hosted by Sidewalk Film + Cinema over the weekend of April 14 - 16 by Little Circus, a team of five undergrad students and a faculty team leader. Our assigned genre was "Slapstick Comedy" and our required line was "I wish you would have told me sooner." We were awarded an Honorable Mention at the competition screening on April 19th. Chadwick's bros have unwittingly trapped him in a precarious prank and he must use all of his faculties to survive. Will Chadwick's love for his homies overcome?

He Has To Come Home
Directed by Apollo Shepherd
4 minutes • USA
A dark animated folktale. A hunter enters an eerie forest rife with monsters and emerges with a new perspective

Labor of Love
Directed by Richard O'Connor 
3 minutes • USA
Mary Stepp Burnette Hayden was born into enslavement in Black Mountain, North Carolina. She was 7 years old when she was freed. She stayed in Black Mountain and became a midwife, delivering several hundred babies including her own grandchildren. Her granddaughter, Mary Othella Burnette, came to StoryCorps with her daughter, Debora Hamilton Palmer, to honor the family matriarch.

Ninety-five Senses
Directed by Jerusha Hess, Jared Hess
14 minutes • USA
An ode to the body’s five senses delivered by a man with little time left to enjoy them. Tim Blake Nelson and a diverse team of animators from Latin America and the U.S. bring to life this bittersweet tale of regret and redemption from visionary duo Jerusha and Jared Hess.

A Life Of Honor
Directed by Richard O'Connor 
3 minutes • USA
When Joseph Patton joined the Navy in 1955, he recalls serving in silence, as the LGBTQIA+ community could not be open while in the military. Despite being the “perfect sailor,” Joseph was kicked out of the Navy for being friends with gay service members, under the assumption that he was homosexual. Due to the status of his “undesirable discharge,” Joseph was unable to receive any benefits for his service in the Navy. Years later, Joseph came to StoryCorps to reflect on his journey and share his resilience, as he fought and successfully changed his status to “honorable discharge.”

Butchy's Big Pitch
Directed by Nick Pruehr, Chrissy Fellmeth
4 minutes • USA
For over 20 years, filmmaker Nick Prueher's downstairs neighbor Butchy would tell him his ideas for TV commercials. One day, while shirtless in his kitchen, he allowed Nick to record one of his pitches. This film depicts Butchy's never-produced commercial pitch for Aflac.

Nature Nurture
Directed by Trevor Mastro
5 minutes • USA
In search of inspiration after breaking up with their partner, an artist is sent by an empath on a journey to carry a tree to the top of a mountain.

No Light Yet
Directed by George F Cox
2 minutes • USA
No Light Yet shows how it feels to go through each day living in fear of being murdered for the color of your skin through mother-son point of view.

Self Love
Directed by Michelle Ouellette
2 minutes • USA
Self Love is a sci-fi short about a romantic encounter between two unlikely partners and a crystal that can harness your inner most narcissistic fantasies.

Saturday August 26, 2023 6:05pm - 7:45pm CDT
BJCC Theatre

6:30pm CDT

Moonage Daydream (2022)
A cinematic odyssey exploring David Bowie's creative and musical journey. Join us for a special encore of one of last year's most dazzling big-screen experiences.

Artists
Sponsors

Saturday August 26, 2023 6:30pm - 8:44pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

7:10pm CDT

F*ck Up Nights Sidewalk Edition
F*ckup Nights Sidewalk Edition
F*ckup Nights Birmingham is a local chapter of the global movement and event series that shares stories of professional failure. Each month, in events across the globe, we get three to four people to get up in front of a room full of strangers to share their own professional f*ckup. The stories of the business that crashes and burns, the partnership deal that goes sour, the project that has to be shelved, we tell them all. This exclusive event will feature speakers from the film industry during the Sidewalk Film Festival.

Saturday August 26, 2023 7:10pm - 8:40pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

7:30pm CDT

Night Catches Us (2010)
In 1976, complex political and emotional forces are set in motion when a young man returns to the race-torn Philadelphia neighborhood where he came of age during the Black Power movement.

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 7:30pm - 9:00pm CDT
First Church Birmingham

7:50pm CDT

After Dark Shorts
Hide Your Crazy
Directed by Austin Kase
14 Minutes • USA
Iris is hiding a supernatural secret from her boyfriend Dan, and when he surprises her for her birthday, they have to face it together as a couple. A horror rom-com about the fear of being truly seen, produced by mental health non-profit Of Substance, and featuring eye-popping visual effects by the legends at Sandbox VFX (Creed III, I Tonya, Gretel & Hansel) and SFX makeup wizard Santino Ferrese (Star Trek: Discovery).

Drawn
Directed by Ty Clancey
25 Minutes • USA
A widower and his young daughter fend off a predatory land speculator by any means necessary in this psychological thriller set on a dying ranch in the Southwest. With shifting points of view and a twisting power structure, the story delves deep into our perception of control, unraveling a family mystery that spawns eerie tension, abducts our expectations of good and evil, and draws us in to a shocking reveal.

Good Condition 
Directed by Frank Mosley
10 Minutes • USA
Barry's starting over.

Tooth
Directed by Jillian Corsie
4 Minutes • USA
Fed up with decades of suffering through the forced perfection of modern beauty standards, a tooth takes matters into its own hands.

Brenda and Billy (and the Pothos Plant)
Directed by Dave Solomon
14 Minutes • USA
After an incident involving a pothos plant, a frying pan and a flower pot leaves their mother for dead, estranged siblings (Santino Fontana and Sarah Stiles) come back together to figure out what to do with the body in this post-pandemic dark comedy.

Spit It Out
Directed by Ben Deter
6 Minutes • Canada
N/A

The Breakthrough 
Directed by Daniel Sinclair
14 Minutes • USA
Jane and Teddy are on the brink of divorce – but when their marital problems come to a sticking point, they have an unexpected breakthrough.

Don't Flinch
Directed by Zachary Paul
7 Minutes • USA
"Don't Flinch" is a short (and queer) homage to George A. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead." When Brady's father passes away, he returns home to Alabama with his partner, Jason, in order to visit the grave site. After being disowned by his family due to his sexuality, Brady fears having to deal with years of repressed family trauma, only the oncoming zombie apocalypse turns out to be a much bigger concern.

A Rustle of Leaves
Directed by Hunter Hadfield
9 Minutes • USA
A man obsessed with having children is forced to question reality when his house plant exhibits strange behavior.

The Seal of Death 2
Directed by Harris Josey
18 Minutes • USA
When Tony Han, a former detective, receives a “Seal of Death” letter threatening his honor and life, he ventures out to New York to take down the one person responsible, Shang Lee, The Head of the Yakuza. He joins forces with NYPD Captain Winnie Ford, the sister of his former partner, Marcus, and together they devise a plan to stop Shang Lee for good.



Saturday August 26, 2023 7:50pm - 9:52pm CDT
Kress Building Ballroom (former RMTC)

8:00pm CDT

Docs After Dark Shorts
Krush The Wrestler
Directed by Alex Megaro
14 minutes * USA
Exploring the innate intimacy of submission wrestling, a lifelong wrestler turns his talents into an on-demand fetish video service.

The 200 Phenomena of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Directed by Nicola Waugh
13 minutes * Canada
In 2009 an anonymous notebook containing 200 stories of occult and magical phenomena was found at the University of Calgary. Since appearing online, the stories have formed new mythologies around the seemingly mundane city of Calgary.

Lady In The Lake
Directed by Joseph Fletcher
25 minutes * Austria
A documentary exploring the fear and resolve of a small lakeside community in Austria when suitcases full of body parts begin washing up on their shore.

The Wixon Family Goes to Burger King
Directed by Lindsay M Wolfe-Wroten
10 minutes * USA
They were tired, they were hungry, and a trip to the Burger King drive-thru would have solved everything. In their own words, a family recounts how everything went hilariously wrong.

The Last Lordship
Directed by Atesh Atici
15 minutes * USA
Far away from the motherland, the few remaining knights of a crumbling empire struggle to uphold the core values of their once prosperous kingdom: friendship, art and humor.

In the Rearview
Directed by Meagan Massa
7 minutes * USA
As two siblings - the filmmaker and her bother - look back on a road trip with their father 20 years ago, they discover their memories have faded, but the feelings they share remain the same.

Somewhere Higher
Directed by Mohammad Gorjestani
25 minutes * USA
In this vibrant anthology, cannabis users tell us the other side of the story. They tell us that the perspective and clarity offered by cannabis far outweigh the vague, supposed risks. Whether they’re a poet seeking inspiration, a boxer recovering after a fight, or a young Muslim seeking a closer relationship to God. They tell us how herb has helped many Michiganders process grief, be more creative, and engage more completely with their loved ones.

Saturday August 26, 2023 8:00pm - 9:49pm CDT
ASFA Dorothy Jemison Day Theater

8:00pm CDT

Music Videos
Sparks, The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte
Directed by Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Richie Starzec
3 Minutes • USA
The music video for The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte by Sparks, from the 2023 album of the same title. Cate Blanchett is flanked by Sparks' Ron Mael & Russell Mael for this one shot video. Deadpan and expressionless throughout, her movement is a direct reaction to the emotions and musicality of the track.

Running out of love
Directed by Veronica Zin
4 Minutes • USA
N/A

Pronto- Light Light
Directed by Maximilian Speidel
7 Minutes • Switzerland
Two childhood friends are on their way to empty out the apartment of one of their mothers, who’s recently passed. The route to the apartment puts the son in a nostalgic trance, reminiscing of growing up in the neighbourhood with his mother and friends. Once the adult son enters the apartment, he revisits different stages of his life through non-linear flashbacks. These mundane memories of his past, show the unconditional love of his mother, which he‘s trying to preserve in his mind whilst removing her last earthly possessions from the place she raised him.

John Cale feat. Weyes Blood, Story of Blood
Directed by Jethro Waters
8 Minutes • USA
Legendary co-founder of The Velvet Underground, John Cale, announces his first album in a decade with STORY OF BLOOD, featuring acclaimed musician Weyes Blood.

Down Here
Directed by Omar Ben Shachar
3 Minutes • USA
Elijah desperately tries to fit into a world where everyone wears identical masks. But when his mask unexpectedly begins to peel off, Elijah starts to doubt if hiding his true identity is really worth it.

My Meisie
Directed by Pedro Henrique Mosca Marques
5 Minutes • Brazil
Dambudzo is a young resident of the Pantanal Community in Diadema - Brazil, who is sad and hopeless after losing her job, but she is supported by her friends who fill her with affection and make her leave the house a little to feel better. When walking around the place where she grew up, it is possible to perceive affection from the people who have known her since she was little, in this way, the young woman gets excited and decides to go to a local party, where a great transformation will happen

Crime of the Century
Directed by Rebecca Pugh Guthrie
3 Minutes • USA
N/A

It’s the Crown for Me
Directed by Cruz MoShots Johnson
4 Minutes • USA
This documentary short is to highlight the importance of black excellence and embracing what God giving us, Black Pride. WE ARE THE CULTURE

Picture Of You
Directed by Jason OBrien
5 Minutes • USA
N/A

Beyond Farewell
Directed by Jackie Shijie Xing
5 Minutes • USA
AI engineer Sam grieves her late girlfriend Joy by working nonstop. Experiencing paranormal activities, Sam finishes her AR goggles as guided by a mysterious line of code. To her gleeful surprise, Sam sees Joy through the goggles. Reunited, the couple goes on an adventure to check off everything on their bucket list. As the morning light caresses her face, Joy glitches and fades. Against the rising sun, the couple kisses one last time, reminiscing the fleeting eternity. Opening her eyes on the grass, Sam finds herself alone again, unsure if the memories were real.

Bay Ledges: DMT
Directed by Veronica Zin
4 Minutes • N/A
N/A

Wil I?
Directed by Myles Cain, Lauren Jones
5 Minutes • USA
N/A

I’ll Be Holding On
Directed by Jorda Z Helms
6 Minutes • USA
After learning her childhood best friend is terminally ill, Morgan James takes Pearl on a farewell road trip across the American Southwest to see the Pacific Ocean one last time. Processing the pain of losing her best friend, Morgan discovers that letting go is just as important as holding on.

Basement
Directed by William S. Davis
4 Minutes • USA
Basement" is a music video combining film and music works both produced by filmmaker and musician William S. Davis. The song and visuals act as an elegy poem intimately dissecting and braiding invisible layers of life and memory. Footage was filmed over 10+ years where the music was produced while dismantling his childhood home.

No Fun
Directed by Duane Bruton
4 Minutes • USA
Explore the Dark Side of Longing with the New Short Dance Film ‘No Fun’. The balance of humor and melancholy creates an experience of unrequited love that is all too familiar to all of us. In this short film, music forms the backdrop of a narrative about love. An immaculately dressed woman tries to get a man’s attention through increasingly frantic and expressive dance moves, but her efforts are fruitless: The man continues to ignore her. As she dances, the threat of death is ever-present, leading the viewer to wonder what lengths she might resort to if he fails to acknowledge her.

Roomates, You Know I'm No Good
Directed by Sarai Hattal
4 Minutes • Israel
Ten roommates wake up at the same time and organize in front of one small mirror in one tiny Tel Aviv apartment.

Hold on Savannah
Directed by Maggie Brown
4 Minutes • USA
N/A

Jeff Hilliard, Finger Bang Your Day
Directed by Jeff Hillard, John Orphan
4 Minutes • USA
With the help of his friends, Blaster is determined to spread his message of hope and love to the rest of the world through his song Finger Bang Your Day.

Alto Palo, Alto Palo
Directed by Veronica Zin
3 Minutes • N/A
N/A

Hardships
Directed by Adam C Sutherland
5 Minutes • N/A
N/A

Lunarcode, The Light
Directed by Vincenzo Carubia
3 Minutes • USA
Latest music video by award winning Rock Band LUNARCODE. this is off their first album "Stories Untold" available on iTunes, Spotify and all major platforms

Miki Ratsula, Sugarcane (feat. Dana Williams)
Directed by Veronica Zin
3 Minutes • N/A
N/A

Old Flames
Directed by Fugitives
5 Minutes • Canada
A haunting portrayal of a recovering addict learning to live with her demons.

Hrishikesh Hirway - Cascade
Directed by Hrishikesh Hirway
4 Minutes • USA
Cascade’ is a song about family, and time, and being connected to people who came before us and will come after us. It’s a story about my grandmother, as a young woman in India, having a vision of her great granddaughter, who wouldn’t be born until a decade after my grandmother passed away. She dreams of this little girl and feels a profound connection to her, and in her dream, sings her this lullaby. That story is being told to that great-granddaughter in the present.

Xopa
Directed by William J. Stribling
4 Minutes • USA
The Latinx rock band Making Movies have let fame go to their head. But they are cosmically punished for their hubris while traveling by private plane to their next gig. The airplane goes down and crashes in the desert. But instead of burning with the wreckage, they rise from the ashes and live to tell the tale. Como ave de mal agüero, nunca morire. Viajero sin ruta o puerto nunca morire. "XOPA" is the title track from the brand new album XOPA by Making Movies. Released under exclusive contract with Cosmica Artists








Saturday August 26, 2023 8:00pm - 9:56pm CDT
BJCC Forum Theater

8:00pm CDT

The Room + Troll 2 Double Feature
For the first time ever, the greatest-ever-best-worst-movie-stars, Greg Sestero and George Hardy are joining diabolical forces (with a little help from Sidewalk) to host a THE ROOM / TROLL 2 Double Feature. Both Greg Sestero and George Hardy will be in attendance! Films will screen back-to-back in the amazing Alabama Theatre as part of the Sidewalk Film Festival Saturday night festivities. THE ROOM will screen first, followed by TROLL 2. Prepare yourself for an evening of mayhem and all around badness.

THE ROOM: In San Francisco, an amiable banker's seemingly perfect life is turned upside down when his deceitful fiancée embarks on an affair with his best friend.

TROLL 2: A vacationing family discovers that the entire town they're visiting is inhabited by goblins, disguised as humans, who plan to eat them.


Saturday August 26, 2023 8:00pm - 11:06pm CDT
Alabama Theatre

8:10pm CDT

Bottoms
BOTTOMS, a refreshingly unique raunchy comedy,
focuses on two girls, PJ and Josie, who start a fight club
as a way to lose their virginities to cheerleaders. Their
bizarre plan works. The fight club gains traction and soon
the most popular girls in school are beating each other
up in the name of self-defense. But PJ and Josie find
themselves in over their heads and in need of a way out
before their plan is exposed.


Artists
Sponsors

Saturday August 26, 2023 8:10pm - 9:42pm CDT
Lyric Theatre

8:15pm CDT

Black Lens Narrative Shorts
A Real One
Directed by McKenzie Chinn
16 minutes • USA
Lauren and Keisha’s friendship is an “us against the world” type friendship. They’re 17 and live in a working class neighborhood on Chicago’s largely Black south side. - They’re 17 and live on Chicago’s largely Black south side. Their friendship is tested when Lauren reveals a tightly-held secret to Keisha, and the two friends must take matters into their own hands in a landscape where the only thing they can truly count on is each other.

Us
Directed by David F. Fortune
14 minutes • USA
A devoted father experiences the highs and lows of teaching his son with down syndrome the sweet science of baseball. However, his patience is stretched as his child struggles to grasp the basic fundamentals of the sport they love.

The Vacation
Directed by Jarreau Carrillo
10 minutes • USA
In Flatbush, Brooklyn, four friends are stuck in their car after it breaks down on the way to the beach on the last day of the summer.

Jelly
Directed by Anndi Jinelle Liggett
11 minutes • USA
Jelly is a magical-realist coming-of-age about Jelly Johnson, a young, Black girl with a peculiar fascination with death. While trying to solve the mysterious case of a missing neighbor, she comes to terms with a more personal disappearance in the process. Narrated by André Holland.

Jerome
Directed by Gianfranco Fernández-Ruiz
15 minutes • USA
Basketball connects Jerome to his long-absent father, though not in the ways he wishes. As he struggles to accept his family’s shortcomings, Jerome questions who he and who he'll become.

Boifriend
Directed by Rebecca Marquardt, Lane Michael Stanley
11 minutes • USA
A gay cis woman's father is surprisingly happy when she brings her transmasc boyfriend home - but she soon realizes he's only happy because she's in a straight-passing relationship.

Saturday August 26, 2023 8:15pm - 9:30pm CDT
Birmingham Museum of Art

8:30pm CDT

Don't Die
Jenks has been pushed to the brink by a system that does not care about him. Desperate for life-saving medicine, he resorts to robbing a small-town drug store. But when he injures a mysterious woman involved in a black market pharmacy, his attempts to save her life may end up jeopardizing his own.


Saturday August 26, 2023 8:30pm - 9:50pm CDT
BJCC Theatre

9:00pm CDT

Sidewalk Saturday Night Party
What Happens at Sidewalk....well you know the rest. The Saturday Night Party Pass grants you entrance to our legendary Saturday Night Party. This year our Saturday Night Party will be at Haven. Don't miss Casino Games, Shows, Prizes + More. Vegas attire encouraged.

Saturday August 26, 2023 9:00pm - Sunday August 27, 2023 1:00am CDT
Events at Haven

9:30pm CDT

Bad Movie Night — The Festival Edition
We're bringing the Sidewalk Cinema's very popular Bad Movie Night to the festival! We can't tell you what we'll be showing you — only that it's a movie, and it's BAD. Join us for this free screening!

Artists


Saturday August 26, 2023 9:30pm - 11:00pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

9:45pm CDT

Gay as Hell Music Videos
From Wham to Take That. From the Indigo Girls to Cher... join us for a gay jaunt back in time to the days when watching MTV for the music videos was a possibility! Sidewalk programmers have curated a super special gay-as-hell music video playlist for Sidewalk 2023, vintage commercials included!

Saturday August 26, 2023 9:45pm - 11:15pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

10:15pm CDT

It Lives Inside
Indian-American teen Sam breaks the empty mason jar carried by her friend Tamira, releasing an ancient daemonic force. When Tamira is kidnapped, Sam must find help to save her and put an end to the terror of the demon.

Artists
Sponsors

Saturday August 26, 2023 10:15pm - 11:55pm CDT
Lyric Theatre

10:20pm CDT

The Coming With Short Film Likeness
Renowned psychiatrist Sam Allyn has fallen from grace, landing at a remote institution specializing in the Jerusalem syndrome, the sudden belief that one is a living, breathing figure from the Bible. There he confronts Patient X, whose behavior is so volatile, so mysterious, so infectious that Sam begins to question whether she is really suffering from psychosis or from something far more terrifying– something not to be cured but destroyed. The Coming is a psychological thriller that pits good vs. evil, sanity vs. insanity, and has us questioning which one is which.

The short film LIKENESS will precede THE COMING
LIKENESS 
Directed By David A. Flores
Run Time: 14:48
Synopsis: A young woman works with a digital copy of her mom to investigate the sudden disappearance of her real mom.

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 10:20pm - 11:48pm CDT
Birmingham Museum of Art

10:30pm CDT

Poundcake
A serial killer is murdering straight white men in New York City. No one cares.

Artists

Saturday August 26, 2023 10:30pm - Sunday August 27, 2023 12:00am CDT
ASFA Dorothy Jemison Day Theater
 
Sunday, August 27
 

10:00am CDT

Acting Out Shorts
Test Runners
Directed by Ben Swearingen, Caroline McKenzie
17 minutes * USA

The HSL
Directed by Wil Deusner, Nathan Fisher
15 minutes * USA

The Audition
Directed by Kate Edmonds, Emily Ferguson, Anna Grace White
14 minutes * USA

Barry Snotter and the Magical Call Center
Directed by Wil Deusner, Nathan Fisher
18 minutes * USA

The Legend of the Salt Lamp
Directed by Ben Swearingen, Caroline McKenzie
14 minutes * USA

Sunday August 27, 2023 10:00am - 11:15am CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

10:00am CDT

45365 (2009)
45365 explores the congruities of daily life in an American town. From the patrol car to the courtroom, the playground to the nursing home, the parade to the prayer service, it explores relationships and interactions - with people and their environment. The stories of a father and son, a young relationship, cops and criminals, officials and their electorate coalesce into a mosaic of faces, places, and events. 45365 is a portrait of a city and its people.


Sunday August 27, 2023 10:00am - 11:34am CDT
Birmingham Museum of Art

10:00am CDT

Periodical
A new documentary that tells the unexpected story of the human body by exploring the marvel and mystery of the menstrual cycle. Periodical includes interviews with experts, activists, doctors, journalists, and celebrities including Gloria Steinem, Megan Rapinoe, Naomi Watts and Anna Konkle.


Sunday August 27, 2023 10:00am - 11:41am CDT
Kress Building Ballroom (former RMTC)

10:00am CDT

Sunday Documentary Shorts
Abortion: Add To Cart
Directed by Jessica Sarah Flaum
35 minutes • USA
In the digital age, self-managed abortions come in a new form: pills ordered online. With increasing burdens placed on clinics, activists are combining the powers of abortion pills and the internet to provide abortions in a revolutionary way and highlight how new technology could transform accessibility in the United States. This short documentary explores the marketplace circumventing regulations to provide abortion pills over the internet. We will follow two storytellers, Alice and Ari through their self-managed abortion experiences. Alice self-managed her abortion through Aid Access, a Dutch organization. Conversely, Ari, a trans-masculine non-binary storyteller, recalls a self-managed abortion experience before these resources were available. We speak with various organizations such as Plan C and If/When/How who support those looking to self-manage. Doctors weigh in on the abortion pill and FDA regulations that prevent it from becoming widely available. Lastly, we investigate the emergence of telehealth, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what the future of abortion looks like.

In the Bubble with Jamie
Directed by Emily Harrold
38 minutes • USA
In South Carolina, African American Jaime Harrison takes on Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham to run for US Senate. But what happens when the COVID epidemic sets in? In a state with one of the largest African American populations in the United States, Harrison must face not only a global pandemic but a legacy of racial injustice that makes winning an uphill battle.

It's in the Voices
Directed by Field Humphrey
17 minutes • USA
Historian Clint Bagley revisits an oral interview he conducted in 1976. As he dives deeper into the interview, we learn about Daisy Greene and her community of Greenville, Mississippi.

Under G-d
Directed by Paula Eiselt
26 minutes • USA
The U.S. Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization from June 2022 sparked a national response, particularly in the Jewish community. Inspired by the lived experiences of Jewish women, lawsuits are currently being launched by rabbis, Jewish organizations, and interfaith leaders to challenge the overturning of Roe v. Wade - on the grounds of religious freedom.

From Fish To Moon
Directed by Kevin Contento
13 minutes • USA
“From fish to moon” is a common expression in medieval Persian verse, meaning ‘from the depths to the heights’. In Pahokee, Florida there is a grocery store, those who work at the ‘Thriftway’ arrive early, and stay all day roaming the aisles. One of these employees is Jean Voltaire.

Sunday August 27, 2023 10:00am - 11:56am CDT
BJCC Forum Theater

10:10am CDT

Sometimes I Think About Dying
Lost on the dreary Oregon coast, Fran (Daisy Ridley) finds solace in her cubicle, listening to the constant hum of officemates and occasionally daydreaming to pass the time. She is ghosting through life, unable to pop her bubble of isolation, when a friendly new coworker, Robert (Dave Merheje), persistently tries to connect with her. Though it goes against every fiber of her being, she may have to give this guy a chance. Director Rachel Lambert and team craft beautiful cinema for this delicately told story of love for the socially awkward and emotionally challenged.

Artists

Sunday August 27, 2023 10:10am - 11:41am CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

10:15am CDT

Black Lens Documentary Shorts
The Push
Directed by Daniel Stine
23 minutes • USA
The Push provides an inside look at one of the many stories unfolding in thousands of schools across America.

Savi the Cat 
Directed by Bryan Tucker, Netsie Tjirongo
18 minutes • USA
When a devoted Kenyan husband surprises his new Black-American wife with an adorable kitten, neither are prepared for the destruction it wields upon their home, their life, and ultimately, their marriage.

House of Tulip
Directed by Cydney Tucker
25 minutes • USA
House of Tulip follows two Black trans activists as they run for office and work to build Louisiana’s first housing refuge that provides residency for trans and gender non-conforming residents. We’ll follow the founders as they fight to use their organization to protect and build community in a state with one of the highest gun-related murder rates in the country. Their journeys will highlight the dangerous yet beautiful reality of what it means to be Black trans women in the deep South.

Garden Ministry
Directed by Kerri Pang 
10 minutes • USA
A joyful portrait of Reverend Dallas Conyers–how she survived environmental racism, became a climate organizer out of necessity, and her passion for healing the climate crisis through community organizing and her front yard garden.

Slice
Directed by Zaire Love
17 minutes • USA
SLICE explores how Rico and his homeboys in Memphis, TN find joy by submerging themselves in an original swimming art form of athleticism and creativity called slicing.

Sunday August 27, 2023 10:15am - 11:47am CDT
ASFA Dorothy Jemison Day Theater

10:15am CDT

Sunday Alabama Narrative Shorts
Faultless
Directed by ANdre Ladon
6 minutes • USA
A concerned woman investigates an issue with her credit card bill and discovers an appalling surprise she never could’ve imagined.

Birdsock Academy
Directed by James Sharpe
16 minutes • USA
This mockumentary takes us inside Birdsock Academy. Founded by Malcom T. Birdsock, as a way to capitalize on his own terminal incompetencies. One of its recent graduates, proudly says “There’s no shame in mediocrity. Being adequate or unimportant is not only obtainable but offers a life without fear of disappointment.”

Ozymandias
Directed by Beau Shepherd
5 minutes • USA
Ozymandias is a 2D animated short-film that explores the nature of discontent, burn-out, and self-identity as a creative in a professional field. Our titular main character, Ozymandias, goes on a harrowing chase through various colorful set pieces as he quite literally chases his dream.

Lonesome
Directed by James Fitch
9 minutes • USA
A young college student becomes lost in their loneliness and self doubt, but is pulled back to reality by a loved one.

Palette of Tears
Directed by Sam Prim
8 minutes • USA
Rehabilitated drug-addicts, Ava and Leo, attempt to ease their way back into reality, but not without facing devastating temptations.

Bare
Directed by Nathan Kovar
8 Minutes • USA
Bare is a dramatic short film about a gay, male couple, Nick and Jamie. As the clock winds down and the arrival of Nick’s parents gets closer, tensions rise as Nick and Jamie work to pack away all evidence of their relationship.

Erased
Directed by Marcus January
11 minutes • USA
NA

Yellow Wallpaper
Directed by Ricky Rhodes
18 minutes • USA
In 1892, a woman suffering from postpartum depression is misdiagnosed with hysteria by her physician husband and forced into the controversial rest cure treatment, where she spirals into madness.

Primeval Currents
Directed by Jasper Lee
7 minutes • USA
A poetic exploration of the passage of time, the world of sound, trash, illusion and folklore in the region of Irondale, Alabama. Sounds in the air appear to cast a spell on the people amidst the ongoing spectacle of commerce and the undercurrents of a fraught heritage.

Don't Look in the Closet
Directed by Skylar Patterson
4 minutes • USA
After spending a debaucherous night out with his friends, Tommy arrives home to find his wife missing and an evil figure lurking about.

Shafted
Directed by Emerson Collins, Del Shores
20 minutes • USA
Joel and Rafi are in what seems to be a standard romantic comedy. What do you do when you find yourself alone in an elevator with your gym crush? For Joel, with his floor fast approaching, he throws caution to the wind and asks the guy out. Rafi pauses a second too long, Joel is desperate to escape, and the elevator comes to a sudden halt – they are stuck! They awkwardly begin getting to know each other, thanks to Joel’s “contingency plan for this sort of thing,” wine. The connection between the two of them grows and as it reaches its hopeful climax, the fourth wall doesn’t break – it shatters completely. Mat, the filmmaker, playing “Joel,” steps out of the elevator fantasy set and into the harsh reality of his own wish fulfillment. Is he foolish for making this film to tell a story he’s not sure he believes in?

No Comment
Directed by Michael Greene
5 minutes • USA
A Birmingham skeptic visits the Magic City for the first time.  Jury Winner of Sidewalk's 2023 Statewide Scramble.

Sunday August 27, 2023 10:15am - 12:13pm CDT
BJCC Theatre

10:30am CDT

The Elephant 6 Recording Co.
The inside story of the 1990s psychedelic rock bands Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, and The Apples in Stereo-- the founding groups behind the Elephant 6 collective, as well as a host of other artists.


Sunday August 27, 2023 10:30am - 12:03pm CDT
Lyric Theatre

10:30am CDT

You Hurt My Feelings
A novelist's longstanding marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband giving his honest reaction to her latest book.


Sunday August 27, 2023 10:30am - 12:03pm CDT
Alabama Theatre

12:00pm CDT

VIP Lounge
VIP, filmmaker, sponsor, and industry pass holders are welcome to join us in the VIP Lounge for complimentary beverages and snacks, plus, cool air conditioning, private restrooms, comfy seating, and rooftop games.

Sunday August 27, 2023 12:00pm - 6:00pm CDT
Kress Building Penthouse and Rooftop

12:15pm CDT

King Coal
A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, KING COAL meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, the myths it has created. While deeply situated in Central Appalachia, the film transcends time and place, emphasizing the ways in which all are connected through an immersive mosaic of belonging, ritual, and imagination. Emerging from the long shadows of the coal mines, KING COAL untangles the pain from the beauty, and illuminates the innately human capacity for change.


Sunday August 27, 2023 12:15pm - 1:35pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

12:20pm CDT

SHOUT Shorts
Golden Voice
Directed by Mars Verrone
18 minutes • USA
Forty years after the Khmer Rouge regime, a transgender man returns to the village where he survived the genocide and miraculously found queer and trans community, including the love of his life.

Honey and Milk
Directed by Lisa "Dash" Donato
14 minutes • USA
Grayson and Alice spend a final weekend together to dismantle their domestic life as Grayson embarks on a journey of gender expansion.

Adore
Directed by Beth Warrian
11 minutes • USA
Luci, a queer Peruvian-Canadian woman, gives her beloved nephew the Christmas gift of his dreams: a beautiful sequined dress. But when he tries to show the rest of the family, Luci finds herself enacting the same restrictions and shaming she hoped to protect him from.

Campfire
Directed by Austin Lee Bunn
17 minutes • USA
A married farmer travels to a gay campground in rural NE Pennsylvania on a quest to find the man he fell in love with 30 years before -- and discovers the past is not done with him yet. A narrative/doc hybrid film.

Lonely Country
Directed by James Perry
15 minutes • Canada
In 1950's rural Ontario, Eugene, a closeted gay man, comes across Jack, a handsome young hitchhiker. When Eugene offers Jack a place to spend the night, he is forced to question just how much of his true self he is willing to reveal.

Sound to Sea
Directed by Ryan Craver
26 minutes • USA
Leo, a shy eighth grader at the cusp of understanding their trans identity, pursues a crush on a boy bunkmate, but is plagued by a frog. Meanwhile, Leo's eager, gay teacher-in-training Brad tries to connect with his students, but oversteps boundaries in the eyes of a coworker. It is only in nature, among marshes and maritime forests, that Leo and Brad find an unspoken connection.

Thaw
Directed by Alex Bush
18 minutes • USA
Isolated in a remote farmhouse for the winter, two friends begin to switch genders.

Sunday August 27, 2023 12:20pm - 2:21pm CDT
Birmingham Museum of Art

12:25pm CDT

Paddington (2014)
A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.

Artists
Sponsors

Sunday August 27, 2023 12:25pm - 2:00pm CDT
Kress Building Ballroom (former RMTC)

12:30pm CDT

Secret Screening A
The first of two secret screenings! We can't tell you anything about these new works.

Artists


Sunday August 27, 2023 12:30pm - 1:15pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

12:30pm CDT

Reimagining Southern Storytelling

Join This is Alabama's Storytellers Lab for a conversation on the importance of relationship-building in documentary filmmaking. With a behind-the-scenes look on their process, they'll discuss strategies for impactful interviews, and what it means to represent Alabamians onscreen. Learn how telling stories of the South is less about talking and more about listening.


Sunday August 27, 2023 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT
ASFA Vulcan Materials Gallery

12:40pm CDT

Another Body
Another Body follows a college student’s search for answers and justice after she discovers deepfake pornography of herself circulating online.


Sunday August 27, 2023 12:40pm - 2:00pm CDT
ASFA Dorothy Jemison Day Theater

12:45pm CDT

Sunday Narrative Shorts
Goose Egg
Directed by Madeline Leshner, Zach Stone
13 minutes * USA
Starring Phoebe Tyers (HBO's "Search Party") and Matt Barats (Factory 25's "Inspector Ike"). After Tim is taken hostage by a pair of vengeful vagrants, he must find a way to get home and deliver his mom's medication before her violent, hallucinatory migraines eclipse her sense of reality.

Shit
Directed by Bennie Deter, Jack Deter, Danial Eskandarzadeh
8 minutes * Canada
An average incompetent boss repeatedly condescends and abuses his employees. When one of the employees, Frankie, reaches his limit, he seeks a quiet revenge that turns into an uncomfortable situation. He’s forced to release everything that’s built up.

Veal
Directed by Brennan Martignoni
9 minutes * USA
A strange young man seeks a twisted sort of salvation in the home of a stranger.

Breaking Fast with a Coca Cola
Directed by Amy Yasmine Omar
14 minutes * USA
After growing up in the secular households of their Turkish immigrant parents in the Midwest, Özlem and Ada are desperate to celebrate a tradition of their own. Together, they embark on a day of fasting and feasting for Ramadan and embrace their cultural differences along the way.

Portrait of a Cowboy
Directed by Devon Wycoff
15 minutes * USA
Alex returns home for the first time since her fathers death in order to prep her family’s farm to be sold at auction. After unearthing a letter she never received, Alex is able to move through the anger she held and find peace with the memory of her father. Alex mistakenly sells an important item in the estate sale which places yet another obstacle in the path of healing. The film is a commentary on the ambiguous nature of sentimental attachment, assigned value and how sometimes in grief, symbology is needed over reality.

The Crying Boy
Directed by Meredith Johnson
12 minutes * USA
When a violent murder shakes a rural town, a boy's nightmares take a seemingly prophetic turn when he claims to have identified the murderer.

Draw Up and Stare
Directed by Jeremiah Kipp
20 minutes * USA
A fireman returns to his quiet upstate cabin after unexpected time away, only to discover that he's not alone.

Picture Day
Directed by Kelly Pike
16 minutes * USA
Casey, an Asian-American tomboy coming of age on Army bases, prepares for picture day at her new school, deciding what she's willing to sacrifice in order to fit in.

Somewhere In Between
Directed by Kyle Vorbach
15 minutes * USA
Two will-they-won’t-they friends are just keeping it simple this New Year's Eve — until their house is crashed by a man from the future who tells them that the fate of the universe rests in their hands!

Sunday August 27, 2023 12:45pm - 2:48pm CDT
BJCC Forum Theater

12:50pm CDT

The New Americans: Gaming a Revolution
A visceral, meme-driven journey into the intersection of finance, media, and extremism to look at the explosive and irreversible ramifications of our digital future.

Artists

Sunday August 27, 2023 12:50pm - 2:32pm CDT
Alabama Theatre

1:00pm CDT

Outside Looking In: Community Storytelling
In 2022, Guillaume Maupin and Pablo Guarise came from Europe to Birmingham to do research on their documentary on Sun Ra they were met with an outpouring of southern hospitality. In this panel, we will learn about how the filmmakers built community connections and learn from historians and community organizers how filmmakers can partner with them to tell better stories.


Sunday August 27, 2023 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
ASFA Lecture Hall

1:00pm CDT

Lynch/Oz
Documenting director David Lynch's obsession with `The Wizard of Oz' and its influence on his films, which many filmmakers and critics argue should be considered a foundational text for much of his work.


Sunday August 27, 2023 1:00pm - 2:48pm CDT
Lyric Theatre

1:05pm CDT

Time Bomb Y2K
An immersive, all-archival retelling of the "Y2K" millennium bug and the mass hysteria that changed the fabric of modern society.


Sunday August 27, 2023 1:05pm - 2:32pm CDT
BJCC Theatre

1:45pm CDT

Secret Screening B
The second of two secret screenings! We can't tell you anything about these new works.

Artists


Sunday August 27, 2023 1:45pm - 3:20pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

2:00pm CDT

Environmental Shorts
Home River
Directed by Kati Eriksen, Scott Thornton
25 minutes * Finland
In 2017, three Sámi women broke the law to protect their traditions. The Sámi people had fished the Deatnu River as a livelihood and spiritual practice for centuries until Finland enforced unprecedented restrictions on the river. In a monumental case for Indigenous rights, Kati, Ánne, and Heidi fought the state to keep their culture alive.

Our 100 Year Floods
Directed by Fernando Rocha
19 minutes * USA
Through the voices of community members in Birmingham and Gadsden, this visual exploration captures the struggles of families and homeowners impacted by decades of flooding.

See Me in Nature
Directed by Asia Singleton
20 minutes • USA
Meet a few of Alabama’s Black environmental leaders, activists, and historians who are currently shaping their community and providing long overdue awareness of the roots of the work.

Between Earth and Sky
Directed by Andrew Nadkarni
25 minutes * USA
For her entire professional life, renowned ecologist Nalini Nadkarni pioneered climbing techniques to study "what grows back” after an ecological disturbance in the rainforest canopy. Now, after surviving a life-threatening fall from a tree, she must turn her research question onto herself in order to understand the effects of disturbance and recovery throughout her life.

The Sight of Blue UK 
Directed by Pierre Bouquet
16 minutes * Belgium
Olivier’s childhood dream was to be a “veterinarian for whales”. When he learns he might soon go blind, he starts practicing freediving to overcome his fear of water. Five years later, he flies to the Maldives to free-dive with Manta rays...

Sponsors

Sunday August 27, 2023 2:00pm - 3:45pm CDT
First Church Birmingham

2:15pm CDT

Working with Celluloid: An Introduction and Understanding of Super 8mm x 16mm Motion Picture Film - Presented by Kodak Film Lab Atlanta

Join us for a relaxing, creative and educational afternoon of learning all about these celluloid formats and having the opportunity to actually capture a scene using celluloid film. This workshop will cover the history of the types of film and cameras available as well as demonstrate film loading and filming exercises.


Sunday August 27, 2023 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
ASFA Vulcan Materials Gallery

2:25pm CDT

Classic MTV Music Videos
Just like it's the '80s (or '90s) we'll screen a bingeworthy block of old school music videos along with vintage commercials and MTV bumpers. Part time machine, part recreation, spend an evening in front of the TV ... specifically the MTV (before it was M-reality-TV). Fun & free!

Sunday August 27, 2023 2:25pm - 3:55pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

2:45pm CDT

Shuttlesworth
Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth was raised in the crucible of segregated Birmingham but he was forged by its attempt to kill him. When the KKK planted a bomb underneath his bed and he emerged unharmed, he was sure he was saved by God to lead a Movement. His work not only ended legal segregation but led directly to the Civil and Voting Rights Acts - and inspired freedom movements around the world.

Artists
Sponsors

Sunday August 27, 2023 2:45pm - 3:42pm CDT
ASFA Dorothy Jemison Day Theater

2:45pm CDT

All American High: Revisited (2014)
In 1984--before cell phones, the web, and reality TV, a young filmmaker set out to document a year in the life of a typical California high school. The result was "All American High", an unusually honest and humorous look at 80's teen life. Told through the eyes of a visiting exchange student, the film presents an uncensored view of senior year in the era of big hair, punks, and parachute pants. Thirty years after they lived it, the film's original subjects return in "All American High Revisited" to look back at one of the most memorable chapters of their lives.

Artists

Sunday August 27, 2023 2:45pm - 4:10pm CDT
Kress Building Ballroom (former RMTC)

2:45pm CDT

Create Your Own Pitch Decks
What are the key components of a successful pitch deck? Jen will go over the elements needed to make your lookbooks and series bibles impactful for multiple types of purposes — such as securing financing, distribution, talent attachments, and more. Just as trends happen in any other space, the ever-evolving art of the deck is a critical element in which to stay informed. Jen has helped position many projects that have been optioned, acquired, and distributed by top creators and production companies. As a filmmaker and graphic designer, creating lookbooks and other movie marketing materials has become a great opportunity for two of Jen's passions to join forces. You'll leave this panel with the tools and mindset needed to make and update your own materials as called for. Special guests of the festival will be present to talk about their experiences in this space.

Speakers
avatar for Jen West

Jen West

Writer, Director, Producer, Star XVII Films
Filmmaker


Sunday August 27, 2023 2:45pm - 4:15pm CDT
ASFA Lecture Hall

3:10pm CDT

Sports Shorts
Outside Line
Directed by Jack Gordon
17 minutes • USA
As one of the only Black drivers and having no connections in the sport, Rajah Caruth is a relative outsider in NASCAR. Nevertheless, he has forged an unlikely path from virtual racing to the sport's penultimate series, building stardom on the way.

Young Kings
Directed by Jonathan Banks, Dr. Arshley
23 minutes • USA
From Ponce De Leon to Ralph David Abernathy, bike culture is pumping hard through the heart of Atlanta. Whether pulling clutches or pushing pedals, "Poppin' wheelies" through the concrete jungle is an authentic, unapologetic form of self-expression. It's art. Culture. Freedom. Escape. Bike life.

Lost, Going East
Directed by Charlotte Simons, Gen Liu
31 minutes • USA
Michael Wilson is a high school drop out whose family is affected by the opiate epidemic. He jettisons his life in New Hampshire to run across America and find his own way to live.

Six Seconds
Directed by Seth Farmer
12 minutes • USA
Three athletes prepare for Alabama's Inaugural Olympic Weightlifting Championship.

Sunday August 27, 2023 3:10pm - 4:33pm CDT
Birmingham Museum of Art

3:20pm CDT

Carpet Cowboys
The psychedelic carpets lining our hotel hallways, casinos, and convention centers can be traced to one town: Dalton, Georgia, the “Carpet Capital of the World.” In this bastion of American manufacturing we find an interwoven set of locals who are the unsung creators and developers behind the majority of the country’s carpets, always looking at the ground for their next big break. 
Among them is Roderick James, a Scottish expat and freelance textile designer living his life as a modern-day cowboy with an ambitious slew of eclectic business ventures. Through Rod’s journey chasing after The American Dream and the experiences of his peers in Dalton, "Carpet Cowboys" explores the tensions between personal and national identity, and the rapidly changing global economic model of the United States that too often leaves so many behind.


Sunday August 27, 2023 3:20pm - 4:45pm CDT
BJCC Theatre

3:30pm CDT

A Disturbance in the Force
Travel back to a galaxy far, far away—the infamous "Star Wars Holiday Special." Dive into the mystery of how it happened and why 45 years later it has become, much to the chagrin of George Lucas, the ultimate cult classic among Star Wars fans.


Sunday August 27, 2023 3:30pm - 4:55pm CDT
Lyric Theatre

3:30pm CDT

Mister Organ
Journalist David Farrier finds himself in a game of cat and mouse with a mysterious stranger. Exploring further, he discovers a series of court cases, royal connections, and ruined lives.


Sunday August 27, 2023 3:30pm - 5:06pm CDT
Alabama Theatre

3:40pm CDT

Best Worst Movie (2009)
This documentary reviews the making of the film "Troll 2" from the perspective of its former child actor star, Michael Stephenson. In 1989, a group of actors and an Italian production crew join forces to produce a slice of unwitting cinematic history. Stephenson and those involved with the ill-fated sequel tell the story of Italian director Claudio Fragasso's B-movie classic, among them the Alabama dentist who became a cult star because of his famous, immortal line.


Sunday August 27, 2023 3:40pm - 5:13pm CDT
BJCC Forum Theater

4:00pm CDT

Why We Want You to Watch Weird Movies

In a recent slashfilm.com article on the increasing number of movies being made unavailable by the streaming services that generated them, a grim pronouncement by social media influencer Miller Ross was cited: “There will never be another cult classic. If your movie or show underperforms, it will be removed from sight.” If this doesn’t sit well with you, rest assured, it doesn’t sit well with us either. Join us for a panel discussion on the cultural import and communal relevance of repertory screenings of foreign/cult/arthouse films in the age of digital streaming uncertainty. From American SOV slashers to kung fu oddities, from Spanish delinquent flicks to decadent Flemish vampire melodramas, come celebrate the wild side of cinema history.


Sunday August 27, 2023 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
ASFA Vulcan Materials Gallery

4:05pm CDT

ISMAY Live Performance
Please join us for a riveting acoustic performance by singer-songwriter ISMAY, featured in the festival documentary Finding Lucinda. There’s music you hear and there’s music you see, the best kind achieves both. ISMAY creates intimate folk/Americana songs that transport you straight to the land where they were written - deeply rooted in the heart of Sonoma Mountain. Melding the experience of taming wild horses, escaping wildfires, and birthing lambs with warm guitars and delicately graceful vocals, it is an original soundscape that is a delight to the ears as well as the imagination. Ismay will perform selections of their original music and favorite Lucinda Williams songs. Admission is free, but seating is limited.

Artists

Sunday August 27, 2023 4:05pm - 5:00pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

4:35pm CDT

Life + Liberty Shorts
Guaranteed in Gary
Directed by Darryl Parham
11 minutes • USA
Guaranteed in Gary follows a guaranteed income experiment in Gary, Indiana, where residents receive a gift of $500 per month for a year. The G.I.V.E. program is designed to reduce household stress and create the mental space to imagine new pathways to life goals. The experiment confirms that poverty isn’t a lack of character; it’s a lack of cash. One recipient, Augustine, is inspired to return to school at age 67 in this short documentary funded by Firelight/PBS’s Homegrown initiative.

The Dads
Directed by Luchina Fisher
11 minutes • USA
When five fathers of trans kids join Dennis Shepard, the father of slain gay college student Matthew Shepard, for a weekend fishing trip in rural Oklahoma, they find common purpose across races, generations and experiences.

Deciding Vote
Directed by Jeremy Workman, Robert Lyons
20 minutes • USA
Over 50 years ago, New York State assemblyman George Michaels cast a single vote that changed the course of American history but destroyed his political career in the process. For the first time, Deciding Vote shares the story of how Michaels defied his conservative constituents by casting the critical tie-breaking vote on a bill which legalized abortion in the state of New York, laying the groundwork for Roe v Wade. The film is a moving tribute to a now-forgotten act of political courage. 

Sanctuary
Directed by John Haley, Julia Szromba
16 minutes • USA
In the first city to ban abortion in Ohio, a lifelong resident grapples with the transformation of her hometown.

Die Laughing
Directed by JL Pomeroy, Tom Broecker
19 minutes • USA
A documentary short that illuminates the power of comedy, and the lengths comedians will go to inspire laughter while expressing the truth—where freedom of expression is a literal fight for freedom. Centered in Cairo, the entertainment hub of the Middle East, DIE LAUGHING follows ‘Saturday Night Live Arabia’, which dared to deliver the kind of cultural humor the American version is known for, ‘Red Tomato’, a troupe of European and Egyptian street clowns, and ‘The Street Children’, who post satirical sketches to social media. Watch as these artists balance humor with caution, knowing every punchline and each performance could land them in jail.

Friday Night Blind
Directed by Scott Krahn, Robb Fischer
14 minutes • USA
It’s another Friday night at Burnham Bowl. Strikes, spares, gutter balls. With no shortage of trash talking and victory dancing. But the group that’s making all the noise isn’t just another bowling league. The Milwaukee Beer Barrels Blind Bowling League is an eclectic mix of visually impaired and sighted bowlers with a simple focus. Making friends, having fun, taking life one frame at a time. Friday Night Blind is the warm, quirky, inspiring story of three visually impaired bowling friends and the way they roll.

Sunday August 27, 2023 4:35pm - 6:05pm CDT
First Church Birmingham

4:40pm CDT

Tired Moonlight (2015)
Dawn, a middle-aged woman who lives alone, spends her days cleaning hotel rooms until a man from her past reappears and slowly upends her life.


Artists

Sunday August 27, 2023 4:40pm - 5:56pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

4:45pm CDT

International Animated Shorts
The Better Angels
Directed by Michael Cusack
13 minutes • Australia
A young soldier trying to escape the horrors of war, finds an abandoned house and within its walls the stories of what might have been.

Meet Again (JAEHOE)
Directed by ap-sol KANG
5 minutes • Republic of Korea
‘Hanbyul’, a 14-year-old troubled girl lost in adolescence, experiences a strange festival in the middle of the night. ‘Hanbyul’ runs away from home on her fourteenth birthday because she feels anger against her mom who does not even send a congratulatory text message. She runs for a while and walks into a strange alley. Then, Hanbyul sights a recognizable memory when she encounters a girl who leads a group of monsters in the strange alley.

Le Pain
Directed by Alex Vicatos
2 minutes • Australia
Follow along as a group of animated flour-based sweets and loaves come together to make a new friend for their clique - a mischievous, weird and cute film in the kitchen.

Town Hall Square
Directed by Christian Kaufmann
9 minutes • Germany
Bernard works behind the windows of a ticket booth at the Town Hall Square subway station and is waiting for something he seems to have forgotten. One day, however, a little tiger shows up and turns Bernard's orderly life upside down. A short film about an unexpected visitor, annoying radio songs and the lust for life!

Bogan Moths
Directed by Tony Radevski
6 minutes • Australia
BOGAN MOTHS is the story of Roger and Benny, two old friends who are struggling with the existential questions of life while fighting the temptation of bright lights at a party full of drunken humans. Roger and Benny loiter in a garage, while the human party is in full swing nearby. In the dark, the two moths discuss the fact they have their lightbulb addiction under control, while truthfully they are waiting and hoping for a person to enter and turn the hanging lightbulb on, setting them free.

Our Pain
Directed by Shunsaku Hayashi
16 minutes • Japan
Our common pain, although experienced individually and uniquely, is what connects us. It is the ambiguity and variety of our existence that allows us to imagine an infinity of variables, some of these alternatives may be malignant, and some benign.

Courage
Directed by Star Bazancir, Jasmina Pusök
16 minutes • Sweden
We were created out of love, but something has been taken away from us. Meet Jasmina and Miriam, who took the courage to break free from a life of despair in prostitution.

Night
Directed by Ahmad Saleh
16 minutes • State of Palestine
The dust of war keeps the eyes sleepless. Night brings peace and sleep to all the people in the broken town. Only the eyes of the mother of the missing child stay resilient. Night has to trick her into sleeping to save her soul.

Riace: Mediterraneo
Directed by Damiano Bedini
18 minutes • Italy
“Riace : Mediterraneo” is an animated documentary that retraces the rise and fall of the “Riace migrant integration model” created by former mayor of Riace, Domenico Lucano (known as “Mimmo”), in Southern Italy. In 2016, Fortune included him among the 50 most influential world leaders and in 2010, Lucano was named the third best mayor in the world. His integration model became popular worldwide but ultimately led him to be sentenced to 13 years in jail. What is the true meaning of justice? Should integration be considered a crime?

Still Up There
Directed by Joe Loftus
5 minutes • Ireland
A mortally wounded Astronaut awakens in the upper atmosphere after a catastrophic event. He struggles to remember how he got there and latches himself on to the only familiar thing to him, his own severed arm.

Sunday August 27, 2023 4:45pm - 6:31pm CDT
ASFA Dorothy Jemison Day Theater

4:55pm CDT

Living Stars (2014)
In Buenos Aires, they are dancing. Dozens of real people, identified simply by name and occupation, are presented in their kitchens, living rooms, offices, and streets-each dancing to a fairly well-known pop song. Young and old, alone and with others, they perform for the camera with a rawness usually only reserved for the bathroom mirror.


Sunday August 27, 2023 4:55pm - 6:00pm CDT
Kress Building Ballroom (former RMTC)

5:25pm CDT

Student Documentary Shorts
Shape the Culture Through Our Vote
Directed by Jordyn O. Hudson, Bruce L. Nix, Jr
10 minutes * USA
The documentary, Shape the Culture Through Our Vote explores the longtime practice of voter suppression in the South and features young people making a difference by addressing the issue and other inequities facing the African-American community.

Qosqo
Directed by Emma Wheeler Volz
12 minutes * USA
A film about heritage and history, an ancient Incan city, and the life of a person who calls it home.

Mental
Directed by Madi Moon, Madison Le
10 minutes * USA
Recent years have seen an increase in adolescent mental health concerns, and this film examines the resources in Birmingham to meet the need.

Continuum
Directed by Hannah Enskat, Lane Stefurak, and Yeachan Park
12 minutes * USA
Coordinating care for the Birmingham homeless community requires the work of a number of organizations and committed individuals, but the needs are great.

Yellow
Directed by Marina Moore
2 minutes * USA
A reflection on the color yellow.

Banned Book Club
Directed by Sinead McHugh Keirans
16 minutes * USA
A group of high school students fight to return banned books to classroom shelves in central Texas.

parklunchgod
Julia Mendoza Friedman
6 minutes * USA
An alien explores San Francisco's Privately Owned Public Spaces and the hidden power structures that exist within them.

Growing Pains
Directed by Marina Gabriella Moore
5 minutes * USA
A conversation between a father and daughter on the uncertainties of your early twenties.

Tau: Future Therapeutics for Alzheimer's Disease?
Directed by Connor Cortez Campbell
6 minutes * USA
Jonathan Roth, an aspiring neuroscientist in the Roberson Lab, researches tau-based therapeutics that may eventually improve clinical outcomes for Alzheimer's disease patients

Up in Smoke
Directed by Annie Foreman, Olivia Hall
14 minutes * USA
An unregulated landfill caught on fire, with over 25 acres burning 100 feet underground for months. Who in Alabama is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of residents exposed to the smoke and toxic chemicals from the dump?

With These Hands
Directed by Cameron B.McClinton, CJ Romano
5 minutes * USA
"With These Hands" tells the story and work of Theresa Thrasher, a blind sculptor born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama.

Worn Out
Directed by Kekeli Doamekpor, Trevor Mastro, Sophia Tamburello
10 minutes * USA
Vintage fashion culture celebrates personal expression and offers a more environmentally-friendly way to shop.

Will I Be This Way Forever?
Directed by Connor Cortez Campbell
10 minutes * USA
Lance Mason, an athlete diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease, perseveres through mental struggles and dialysis treatments to achieve successful transplantation


Sunday August 27, 2023 5:25pm - 7:24pm CDT
Birmingham Museum of Art

5:40pm CDT

VHS Time Machine
The Sidewalk Cinema's VHS Time Machine series jumps to the 2023 festival with this selection. Sidewalk programmers select a vintage title from their personal VHS library and we’ll screen it directly from VHS. Deep cuts, rarities, out of print titles and classics – the wheel of fortune can land anywhere, but the Festival edition is relevant to the 25th annual line-up and that's all we can say. Any and all genres are possible. Take a trip back to a simpler time before the algorithm had control. Beware tracking issues likely! Free!

Artists


Sunday August 27, 2023 5:40pm - 7:40pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

5:45pm CDT

Medusa Deluxe
Talented and cutthroat hairstylists at a competition find one of their own murdered before judging can begin. Winding through neon-lit halls, competitors unspool long-simmering resentments and lies as they search for the killer among them.


Sunday August 27, 2023 5:45pm - 7:26pm CDT
Lyric Theatre

5:50pm CDT

Sunday Alabama Documentary Shorts
A Slam That Saves 
Directed by Bene Meadows
11 minutes * USA
Deep in the foothills of the Appalachians, there are four species of bass found nowhere else on Earth. The Coosa, Cahaba, Warrior, and Tallapoosa bass are all genetically-distinct, environmentally-imperiled bass in dire need of help. And thankfully, a community has rallied around them with a unique idea. Instead of gating off the species, why not champion them? Why not create a new grand slam in fly fishing for the sake of a national treasure? Join Matt Lewis and Mary Beth Meeks as they attempt to catch a “Redeye Slam” in one day.

Pilot At the Bottom of the Lake
Directed by Robert Clay
5 minutes * USA
Local filmmaker, Robert Clay, explores a Lake Martin urban legend of a mysterious plane and pilot stuck at the bottom of the lake.

Revolution of Joy 
Directed by McKinnon Maddox
23 minutes * USA
"Revolution of Joy" is a thought-provoking short documentary that illuminates the struggles of historic Selma, Alabama’s past during the civil rights movement while also delving into the challenges that persist in the present day. Through a powerful and inspiring exploration of the unifying and healing power of art, the film showcases a new initiative in the black belt community that aims to bring together and empower individuals and communities that have been torn apart by racism and division. Featuring heartfelt interviews with both the artists and the residents of Selma and the Black Belt, "Revolution of Joy" offers a unique and inspiring perspective on the power of creativity to effect change. The documentary boldly demonstrates that even in the face of adversity and ongoing social challenges, there is still hope for positive change and meaningful progress. If you're looking to connect with the human spirit and discover the transformative power of art and empathy in bringing communities together, this documentary is a must-watch. Experience the transformative power of joy in 'Revolution of Joy,' a captivating short documentary. Join us on a heartfelt journey as we explore stories of resilience, hope, and the pursuit of happiness in the face of adversity. Discover the joy that can ignite a revolution within us all.

Rosenwald: Toward A More Perfect Union
Directed by Charles Poe
10 minutes * USA
The extraordinary story of a forgotten philanthropist, a Jewish son of immigrants from Chicago who became a champion for black education in the Jim Crow South.

Monograph: Abadir's
Directed by Lisa Cordes
4 minutes * USA
Can you smell what Greensboro is cooking? Demopolis native, Sarah Cole, fuses her Egyptian heritage with her Southern roots to make delicious treats in the Black Belt. Watch how Sarah and Abadir's peel back the importance of sharing the culture baked into your community.

Monograph: Liza Butts
Directed by Kelsey Harrison Ianuzzi
6 minutes * USA
The work is dealing a lot with origins and me coming home and returning to this place that I grew up in and seeing it with fresh eyes as an adult. The landscape becomes this sort of record and document for history and layers of time. Alabama native Liza Butts is a painter and printmaker producing work in Birmingham, AL. Drawing on inspiration from her local environment, she uses color and translucency to synthesize composite images. What richness and complexity do you notice on a walk around your neighborhood?

Happy Trails 
Directed by Erin Herron
20 minutes * USA
From raising Alabama Crimson Tide football legends to constructing a billion-dollar motorhome empire, Bob Tiffin has firmly left his mark upon the Heart of Dixie. Beginning fifty years ago, Bob transformed a small Alabama town into an economic powerhouse with a loyal fanbase that rivals the likes of Apple and Coca-Cola. Yet, when a worldwide pandemic threatens to bring down his life's work, will Bob's playbook of the past be enough to save his company and legacy?

Trashy Waters 
Directed by Randal Crow, Ingrid Pfau
13 minutes * USA
Alabama is not a dumpster. Litter washing into our waterways is an enormous issue not only affecting our pocketbooks and well-being, but it also spoils our enjoyment of Alabama’s great outdoors.

35205
Directed by Ilya Blokh, Daniel Blokh
15 minutes * USA
A short documentary about the DIY punk scene in Birmingham, Alabama and how it has reinvented itself post covid as a community that combines the violence and self-expression of moshing with inclusivity and diversity.


Sunday August 27, 2023 5:50pm - 7:39pm CDT
BJCC Theatre

6:00pm CDT

Let the Church Say
In a time of racial upheaval and a multitude of woes affecting marginalized communities, a young, African American filmmaker journeys to the heart of the Black experience to find the answer to a daunting question: Is the Black church dead?

Artists
Sponsors

Sunday August 27, 2023 6:00pm - 7:06pm CDT
BJCC Forum Theater

6:00pm CDT

Closing Night: It's Only Life After All
An intimate look into the lives of one of the most iconic folk-rock bands in America — the Indigo Girls. Never-before-seen footage dives into the songwriting and storytelling behind the music that transformed a generation.


Sunday August 27, 2023 6:00pm - 7:58pm CDT
Alabama Theatre

6:40pm CDT

Everyone Will Burn
In a small village in Leon, Spain, María José (Macarena Gomez) prepares to end her life after failing to get over the suicide of her bullied son years before. Everything changes when she receives a visit from Lucía, a strange little girl who could be connected to a local legend about stopping an impending apocalypse. With the enigmatic girl by her side, María José faces the corrupt community, overloaded with sadistic secrets and immoral lies.

Artists

Sunday August 27, 2023 6:40pm - 8:45pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater B

6:45pm CDT

Kim's Video
Playing with the forms and tropes of various cinema genres, the filmmaker sets off on a quest to find a legendary lost video collection of 55,000 movies in Sicily.


Sunday August 27, 2023 6:45pm - 8:10pm CDT
Kress Building Ballroom (former RMTC)

7:00pm CDT

Crows Are White
After decades of living a secret life, a filmmaker travels to a strict Japanese monastery in search of guidance but the only monk who will help him prefers ice cream and heavy metal over meditation. Crows are White is an exploration of truth, faith and love, from the top of a mountain to the bottom of a sundae.

Artists

Sunday August 27, 2023 7:00pm - 8:37pm CDT
First Church Birmingham

7:20pm CDT

Encore: Mississippi River Styx
An enigmatic drifter with terminal cancer lives his dream of floating the Mississippi River on a ramshackle houseboat - until locals start to question his story.

Sunday August 27, 2023 7:20pm - 9:00pm CDT
ASFA Dorothy Jemison Day Theater

8:00pm CDT

Invisible Beauty
Fashion revolutionary Bethann Hardison looks back on her journey as a pioneering Black model, modeling agent, and activist, shining a light on an untold chapter in the fight for racial diversity.


Sunday August 27, 2023 8:00pm - 9:54pm CDT
BJCC Forum Theater

8:15pm CDT

Compliance (2012)
A normal Friday service at a fast food restaurant becomes interrupted by a police officer who claims an employee stole from a customer, but something more sinister is going on.

Artists

Sunday August 27, 2023 8:15pm - 9:45pm CDT
Birmingham Museum of Art

8:20pm CDT

Encore: Hello Dankness
Assembling hundreds of film clips and media images, artist duo Soda Jerk's narration about the changes undergone by American society since Trump, while relishing and reflecting on contemporary cultural values.

Sunday August 27, 2023 8:20pm - 10:00pm CDT
BJCC Theatre

8:30pm CDT

Dogtooth (2009)
A controlling, manipulative father locks his three adult offspring in a state of perpetual childhood by keeping them prisoner within the sprawling family compound.


Sunday August 27, 2023 8:30pm - 10:07pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater A

8:55pm CDT

Theater Camp
Eccentric staff members of an upstate New York theatre camp must band together to put on their summer show when their beloved founder falls into a coma.


Sunday August 27, 2023 8:55pm - 10:28pm CDT
Alabama Theatre

9:00pm CDT

Finding Lucinda
Avery Hellman (aka, ISMAY) is a non-binary, aspiring musician from a notable, musical family living on the family ranch in Northern California. Avery lives there, not only because of a significant connection to the land and farm life, but also as an escape from a society that they feel deeply disconnected from. A saving grace has always been their hero, country/folk music star, Lucinda Williams, whose image of confidence, success and masterful songwriting shines as a guiding light of possibility to Avery’s isolated existence. In a road trip across the south, Avery travels to find people and places that note benchmarks in Lucinda’s early career, in hopes of finding inspiration and guidance for their own artistic journey.

Artists
Sponsors

Sunday August 27, 2023 9:00pm - 10:00pm CDT
Kress Building Ballroom (former RMTC)

9:00pm CDT

Awards Show
Come celebrate the jury and audience award winners of the 25th annual Sidewalk Film Festival with a live show at the Lyric Theater! Admission is free.


Sunday August 27, 2023 9:00pm - 11:00pm CDT
Lyric Theatre

9:05pm CDT

Summer of Blood (2014)
An emotionally stunted New Yorker's miserable love life turns around when he meets a deadbeat vampire and becomes a blood-sucker himself.

Artists

Sunday August 27, 2023 9:05pm - 10:34pm CDT
Sidewalk Cinema Theater B
 
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