EDUCATION
Beyond The Screen
“Beyond the Screen” is Sidewalk’s exciting new media literacy program. Designed to bring media literacy topics directly to the classroom or library program through one-off or multi-session lessons, “Beyond the Screen” is tailored to middle school and high school students. Lessons range from 30 to 60 minutes, and available topics include Media Literacy 101, Photo Ethics, Comparing Books to Movies, and Facts vs. Opinions. This program is designed to be taken out into the community, bringing media literacy directly into the classroom, library, etc. By filling out our Beyond the Screen Interest Form, you can specify your interest in specific topics, age range, duration of presentation, and more! After submitting the application, a Sidewalk team member will be in touch with you about scheduling a session.
Book + Film Club
Sidewalk’s Book + Film Club unites movie and book lovers for a monthly film screening and discussion about famous films and the people who make them. At the end of the month, we host a screening of a film related to the book and host a round-table discussion. Each session is $35 and the includes book, film screening, and discussion. Buy 3 or more months at once with the book included and get 10% off your registration by using code ‘3ormore’ at checkout! Already have the book? Select the $15 option for access to the film screening and post film discussion.
Film + Creative Media College Fair
Networking Nights
Join us for Networking Night at the Sidewalk Cinema Bar! This event is free and open to the public.
Sidewalk Film 101
Welcome to another year of the monthly Sidewalk Film 101 series at the Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema. This year, we’ll be focusing on big-screen spectacles – movies that you must see on the big screen. Along with supplemental readings and resources to contextualize each featured film, Thursday evening screenings will include a special introduction.
Salons & Panels
Sidewalk Salon is a FREE quarterly educational event aimed at filmmakers and film fans alike. Join our Sidewalk Salons to learn something new about movies and movie-making!
Scramble
The Sidewalk Scramble is a timed filmmaking competition fueled by caffeine and competition in which teams are challenged to create a short film — from concept to completion – within a 48-hour time frame, based on themes and inspirational items provided by the creative folks at Sidewalk. Participants range from amateurs to professionals, so the results are always unexpected, inspiring, and spectacular! Build your own team and create a film in a weekend!
Sidewalk x Stowe Story Labs
Stowe Story Labs brings screenwriters, filmmakers, and creative producers together with seasoned industry professionals through intensive labs and expansive retreats to help get projects made and seen. This four-day remote Sidewalk Lab is an intensive program to introduce writers to key considerations when building work for the big or small screen. The aim of this Narrative Lab is to prepare participants to best place themselves and their projects in the film industry in partnership with our diverse, electric film festival in the South.
Sidewrite Screenplay Competition
A division of the Sidewalk Film Festival started in 2004, Sidewrite’s mission is to discover and reward talented screenwriters in Alabama and around the world. The screenplay competition aims to foster community amongst emerging writers and reinforce cinematic artistry locally. With categories for feature length screenplays, short screenplays, and Alabama screenplays, Sidewrite allows passionate writers to enhance their craft and receive recognition for their innovative and exciting scripts. In addition to cash prizes, winning scripts are read at a table read opportunities during the festival weekend. Winning scripts are announced approximately one month prior to the festival event date. Sidewalk also offers a screenplay category that provides feedback on any submitted screenplay.
Southern Circuit
The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers works with a regional network of Screening Partners to connect independent documentary filmmakers with communities across the Southeast to present screenings and conversations around important stories and the art of filmmaking. Since Southern Circuit’s inception in 1975, hundreds of filmmakers have toured, sharing their work and perspective with over one hundred Screening Partner communities throughout South Arts’ nine-state region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Southern Circuit is made possible through a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tech & Technique
Tech & Technique Workshops offer a chance to gain hands-on experience under the guidance of a filmmaking professional. From lighting kits to horror makeup, each workshop focuses on a specific aspect of the creative and technical process of making a film.
Youth Board
The Sidewalk Youth Board is a group of high school students from across the Birmingham area who share a love for movies. The Youth Board writes, produces, directs, edits, and eventually screens their own short film, which will also appear in the Sidewalk Film Festival lineup. Youth Board members also get to help our programming team choose films submitted by other teen filmmakers for consideration at the festival.