If you call Birmingham home, you are likely familiar with the annual Sidewalk Film Festival. But did you know you can experience Sidewalk all year long? Located in the Pizitz building in Birmingham’s historic theater district, the Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema is a nonprofit committed to independent film and supporting filmmaking in the Deep South.
Whatever your cinematic tastes, there is so much to love about Sidewalk — beyond the festival!
From Annual Festival to Year-Round Cinema
The Sidewalk Film Festival has attracted filmmakers and fans to the Magic City to celebrate independent films since it came on the scene in 1998. “Having an independent cinema in downtown Birmingham has been a dream of our organization for 25 years,” says Chloe Cook, Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema’s Executive Director.
Securing the funding and venue for an independent theater was no easy task. “Advice early on was to just start screening movies,” Rachel Morgan says. She joined the Sidewalk team in 2006 and currently serves as its Creative Director and Lead Programmer.
Following that advice, the festival began as a screening event to promote independent films that were hard to access in Alabama. Rachel says this origin infused flexibility into the organization, proving useful after the Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema opened in 2019. Chloe explains, “[We] had to close our doors just six months later due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We reopened with extremely limited capacity in Fall 2020 and returned to full capacity in Spring 2022. What a wild ride it has been.”
The Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema is an independent theater located in the Pizitz building in Birmingham’s historic theater district.
Now fully open with a robust events calendar, the cinema operates as a two-screen independent theater with two chic lounges and a swanky, full-service bar.
Sidewalk has received national acclaim, including praise from Oscar-winning director and former Sidewalk Festival participant Daniel Scheinert. During his acceptance speech for Best Director at the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards for the hit film Everything Everywhere All At Once, Scheinert thanked the organization for believing in him in his early days of filmmaking.
Events, Entertainment, and Education
The Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema offers a variety of events and entertainment. From book and movie clubs to educational events and filmmaking competitions, there is something for everyone at Sidewalk.
You can catch various movies for every taste in their two cutting-edge theaters. They feature everything from classics to indie debuts, so it’s worth keeping up to date with showtimes to catch your next favorite flick. Currently, featured films include Alabama local film Jublowski and Master Gardener.
The cinema also offers a variety of free events, including networking nights, monthly movie trivia, and TV show watch parties — including the series finales of Ted Lasso on May 24 and Succession on May 28. You can also stop by, grab a drink, and belt out your favorite movie ballad at their Soundtrack Karaoke nights.
Showcasing the range of Sidewalk’s offerings, Chloe says, “Some of our most popular events right now are our monthly Bad Movie Nights and the Sidewalk 101 Series,” which literally highlight the very worst and best of film. She adds, “Other annual special events like the Kiss ’em or Diss ’em Valentine’s Day Spectacular and Twilight Fest are also really popular.”
Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema holds many free film-related events in their lobby.
For those interested in the craft of filmmaking, Sidewalk holds competitions throughout the year, like the Sidewalk Scramble and Sidewrite Screenplay Competition, in addition to the festival. The Scramble is a 48-hour filmmaking spree where participants compete to make the best short film from start to finish. The Sidwrite competition is a chance for screenwriters from Alabama and beyond to win access to table read opportunities for the Sidewalk Film Festival, and submissions are currently open.
Sidewalk also holds annual Film Weeks, which Rachel explains aims to “highlight those underrepresented in the industry.” They spotlight the contributions of women as well as Black, Jewish, Latine, and LGBTQ+ communities. They also hold an Alabama Film Week celebrating the many ways the state is featured in cinema via its people, places, and stories.
Education
Sidewalk strives to be an educational resource for cinephiles of every interest and experience level. They aim to demystify the complexities of filmmaking, ranging from tech, makeup, lighting, writing, and more. Whether you want to make films, discuss the ins and outs, or just enjoy them on the big screen, Sidewalk is the place to be.
Rachel is a full-time film teacher and said Sidewalk “seeks to connect people to independent film in an educational manner.” She adds that her students find the educational offerings at Sidewalk to be valuable additions to their studies.
They host a free monthly educational forum called the Sidewalk Salon, which focuses on various areas of filmmaking that can be difficult to access, like how to sell a film, writing screen adaptations, and casting ethics. June’s Salon will host actor Rachel Burttram in a discussion comparing the theater and screen experience from the actor’s perspective. Details for the event are below.
If you want to level up your Film Buff status, check out the cinema’s popular Sidewalk 101 series. Each month, they screen an iconic movie (classic or modern) and provide extra resources to explore its influence in the industry.
Sidewalk is committed to youth-centric efforts to encourage students all over Birmingham to follow their love for film. Their Youth Board connects with area pros to learn about the filmmaking process and creates their own short film for the festival. You can find more information about the Sidewalk Youth Board HERE.
More Than Movies
You don’t have to have a ticket to stop by the Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema. Their bar and concessions open before their first show each day, so you can pop in for a drink or bag of fresh popcorn when the mood hits.
Sidewalk is also available for private events. If you’re looking for a unique venue for your party, hybrid company meeting, or epic video game tournament, they can make it happen. You can get the details HERE.
Don’t wait until August to get your Sidewalk fix. There’s so much to enjoy at the Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema all year.
Keep an eye on their events calendar and follow them on Instagram to stay current!
Enjoy a drink before the show at the Sidewalk bar.
Mark Your Calendar
Check out these upcoming events at Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema:
- June 8: Soundtrack Karaoke: Movie Musicals Edition at 7 p.m. in the Cinema Lobby. This event is free. First come, first served; RSVP HERE.
- June 14: Sidewalk Salon: Talking Theater to Screen from an Actor’s Point of View with Rachel Burttram at 7 p.m. This event is free. RSVP HERE.
- June 15: Networking Night + Monthly Movie Trivia: Networking Night starts at 5 p.m., and Trivia begins at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lobby. This event is free.
- July 15: Midnight Madness: Friday the 13th (1980) Screening at 11:59 p.m. Tickets are $10 HERE.
- July 26: Book + Film Club: Bring It On, directed by Peyton Reed (2000). Tickets are $35, and details are HERE.
- August 21 through 27: Sidewalk Film Festival. Birmingham Theater District. Ticket pricing varies; click HERE for more info.
All photography courtesy of Joseph De Sciose Photography.
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