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By Javacia Harris Bowser | The Birmingham Times
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! People who know me well know that when they hear me say these words, it’s not the holiday season. They know it’s time for Sidewalk Film Festival.
Javacia Harris BowserEach year 15,000 people gather in Birmingham’s historic theatre district for the Sidewalk Film Festival, and I am always in that number. This year, the 28th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival is set for August 24-30 and will feature 253 films by moviemakers from 29 different countries and in nearly every genre. For the 28th annual festival, the Sidewalk team had to review 1,824 film submissions from 59 different countries. About 23 percent of the films for this year’s festival have Alabama directors or connections.
Sidewalk Supports Local Filmmakers
But Sidewalk is more than its annual festival. In October of 2019, Sidewalk opened the Sidewalk Cinema and Film Center in the lower level of the Pizitz Building in downtown Birmingham. And Sidewalk Cinema does much more than screen films and sell popcorn. Throughout the year, Sidewalk offers a host of educational programming such as filmmaker Q&As and masterclasses. It’s a perfect example of how Sidewalk supports local filmmakers all year long, which is one of the reasons I’m a Sidewalk loyalist.
“From classes and workshops that hone filmmaking techniques to discussion and Q&A-based programs where participants can get face time with established filmmakers and film studies experts, our education programming is open to filmmakers at every experience level,” said Jessica Chriesman, Director of Education and Outreach at Sidewalk.
On the third Thursday of each month, Sidewalk hosts Networking Nights, “an excellent opportunity for filmmakers to meet each other and learn about their next projects,” Chriesman added.
In October, Sidewalk will present a showcase for Alabama-made short films.
Each year, Sidewalk also hosts its Film and Creative Media College Fair bringing in colleges and universities from across the South to share materials about their Film, Communications, Theatre, Graphic Design, Art and other creative departments.
“I love this event because it shows that you can receive quality education in an arts field and not have to venture too far from home,” Chriesman said.
Sidewalk also offers three grant opportunities to support Alabama filmmakers. The David Brower Grant for Alabama Filmmakers supports student, emerging, or established filmmakers currently residing in Alabama with a work in progress. The Black Lens Filmmaker Grant invites Alabama’s Black filmmakers of all levels to apply with the mission of amplifying Black voices through the art of storytelling.
Jessica Chriesman, Director of Education and Outreach at Sidewalk. (Provided)“We also offer a new Sidewalk Graduate Study in Film Scholarship,” Chriesman added. “This new scholarship is designed to offer financial support to one selected candidate from Alabama enrolled in an accredited graduate degree in film anywhere in the world.”
Chriesman wants up-and-coming filmmakers in Birmingham to connect with Sidewalk.
“My advice for emerging filmmakers is to take advantage of the events Sidewalk holds during the festival and throughout the year,” she said. “These opportunities can help you both enhance your craft as a storyteller and broaden your horizons by introducing you to your fellow filmmakers. You never know who will be the perfect cast or crew member for your next project!”
Connection, Discovery, and Community
Sidewalk isn’t just for filmmakers.
“We also have programming for film lovers like our Sidewalk Film 101 series, Book + Film Club and Filmmaker Focus events,” Chriesman shared.
Chloe Cook, executive director of Sidewalk. (Provided)But Chloe Cook, executive director of Sidewalk, stresses that Sidewalk loyalists don’t gather only for the films. They also gather for connection, discovery and community.
“You do not have to be in love with film to be in love with Sidewalk because we do so much for the city,” Cook said.
With an estimated economic impact of $4.5 million for Jefferson County, Sidewalk doesn’t just benefit filmmakers and movie buffs. Along with the booked hotel rooms, packed restaurants and busy local shops that Sidewalk generates, it also helps put a national spotlight on Birmingham as a creative, growing city, Cook shared.
Year after year, MovieMaker Magazine has named the Sidewalk Film Festival one of “the coolest festivals in the world” for movie lovers. And for filmmakers, MovieMaker Magazine has also named Sidewalk one of the “top 50 film festivals worth the entry fee.”
And Sidewalk is growing. On Monday, downtown Birmingham and social media were abuzz with news of Sidewalk Cinema’s new sign. Sidewalk is also looking to expand its space, hoping to add 4,500 square feet to its current 11,500. The new space will make room for two new small theatres, a larger classroom space, more restrooms, and a larger lobby and gathering space.
Watching and discussing movies is one of my favorite pastimes. But that only scratches the surface of why I’m a fan of Sidewalk. I love Sidewalk – both the cinema and the festival — because they make me feel more deeply connected to my city. Yes, one of my favorite things about the annual festival is that I inevitably wander into a movie I hadn’t planned on watching and walk out raving about it being one of the best films I’ve ever seen. But what I love even more is running into friends I haven’t seen in months and seeing people I know and places I’ve roamed on the big screen when I watch Alabama-based films. I love Sidewalk Film Festival because it’s further proof that the stories of Birmingham matter and always will.
Javacia Harris Bowser is executive editor of the Birmingham Times.
