Reviewed by: Cindy Hatcher
9 Alabama-focused features you’ll see at Sidewalk Film Festival, August 18-24
Reading time: 5 minutes
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In less than a week, the 27th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival will bring more than 200 features, short films, documentaries and more to multiple historic venues in downtown Birmingham.
Held from August 18-24, this year’s festival is packed with compelling cinema from around the world as well as nine Alabama-focused features and short films—read on to learn more and make sure to get your tickets to this can’t-miss festival.
1. Forward, Ever
In 2024, Birmingham-Southern College (BSC) announced that it would be ceasing operations following years of financial difficulty. As students, faculty, alumni and supporters struggled to accept the news, the 160-year-old liberal arts college’s baseball team embarked on a legendary playoff run that lifted the spirits of the BSC faithful when they needed it most.
- Showtimes:
- Monday, August 18
- Sunday, August 24
Forward, Ever is sponsored by Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa.
2. Interstate
The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 launched a massive $51 billion public works project that created 41,000 miles of interstate highways crisscrossing the nation. The project transformed the economy but displaced and segmented thriving Black neighborhoods in cities like Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Baltimore, Montgomery and New Orleans.
Interstate examines the economic impact, health consequences, redlining and alternative solutions of the interstate system while amplifying stories of resilience in the face of lasting damage.
3. Discount Funeral
Directed by Brett Whitcomb, Discount Funeral is a liminal scrapbook documenting life in a small town through raw, unfiltered glimpses into dozens of lives. Through snapshots of seemingly unconnected faces, places and events, Discount Funeral weaves a hauntingly beautiful portrait of American life.
4. The World Drops Dead
Part live action, part animation, The World Drops Dead is a haunting hybrid film following a grief-stricken protagonist—Claire—as she wrestles with anguish following her father’s suicide. Set in a quiet Quaker community, The World Drops Dead parallels Claire’s story with a story of a girl in an ancient Druid clan.
5. Portal to Hell
By-the-book debt collector Dunn faces a moral dilemma when a portal to Hell opens in his neighborhood laundromat, where a demon offers a bargain: save Dunn’s cancer-stricken neighbor by sacrificing three souls. Equal parts gruesome and darkly funny, Portal to Hell is packed with moral chaos that’ll mess with your head.
Portal to Hell is sponsored by Amanda Bates – ARC Reality.
6. Dwarf Story
Seven years ago, researchers released vosoritide—a “miracle drug” that promised to make kids with achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism) taller. Dwarf Story follows three young people (one in the U.S., UK and Australia) as they share how the treatment changed—or didn’t change—their lives, and whether being short is something that needs “fixing” at all.
7. The Spirit of Halloweentown
In 1998, Disney Channel filmed the hit fantasy comedy Halloweentown in the town of St. Helens, Oregon—and the town has never forgotten. Each October, residents go all-out to decorate the town with giant pumpkins, fog machines, elaborate costumes and more. The Spirit of Halloweentown documents the annual spooky ritual where nostalgia meets small-town politics.
The Spirit of Halloween is sponsored by H2 Real Estate.
8. Sun Ra Documentary (test screening)
For over three years, French filmmakers Guillaume Maupin and Pablo Guarise have made frequent visits to Birmingham to explore the city, interview people and film scenes for a new documentary on iconic jazz legend Sun Ra. Utilizing rare footage, archival interviews and neighborhood memories, the documentary dives into how Sun Ra’s industrial, segregated hometown helped shape his otherworldly voice.
Sun Ra is sponsored by Quire Consulting.
9. Bad Man
Inspired by true events and filmed in Alabama, Bad Man follows a Sam—a sherrif’s deputy in a meth-stricken small town. When charming undercover agent Bobby Gaines arrives—bringing enough sketchy vibes to make Sam wonder who the real villain is—what begins as a murder investigation turns into something darker.
See 200+ films at the Sidewalk Film Festival, August 18-24
These nine Alabama-focused films are a small—but mighty!—fraction of the 200+ films, narratives, music videos, animated shorts and more that you can see at the 27th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival.
Visit Sidewalk Film Festival’s website to learn more and get your tickets to this can’t-miss event.
What films are you looking forward to seeing at the 27th annual Sidewalk Film Festival? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know!
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