The 26th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival will take place August 19th – 25th, 2024 in Downtown Birmingham’s Historic Theatre District.

 

Please note – the information below is regarding the 2023 Sidewalk Film Festival, check back here for updates!

 

Festival Box Office + Event Policies

The Central Box Office will be located at The Theatre Lofts (1816 3rd Ave. N.).

VIP passes are available for pick-up at the Central Box Office only.

Festival-goers can pick up will-call tickets or make ticket purchases at the Central Box Office throughout Festival week or at any of our satellite box offices Saturday and Sunday.

Central Box Office Hours

11am – 7pm (M – Th)

11am – 9pm (Fri)

9am – 9pm (Sat-Sun)

Satellite Box Office Locations

Alabama School of Fine Arts

  • 1800 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd.

Alabama Theatre

  • 1817 3rd Ave N

BJCC Theatre

  • 1001 19th St. N.

Contact the Box Office

Box Office Policies

  • No refunds or exchanges except in rare cases of program cancellations.
  • Premium single tickets offer guaranteed seating to the selected film, and these ticket holders are admitted first, followed by lanyard bearers, pass holders, then general admission single ticket holders.
  • General admission single tickets, passes and VIP lanyards do NOT guarantee seating to specific films.
  • VIP lanyards are nontransferable.
  • Please arrive early to the films you are most interested in to secure a seat. We recommend arriving at least 30 minutes early for the films you are most interested in seeing.
  • Please silence all mobile phones and other devices.
  • Festival schedule and appearances are subject to change.
  • Our screening venues and educational program venues do not allow outside food or drink of any kind.
  • Recording devices are not permitted.
  • Most indie films have not been rated. Proceed with caution.

Photography/Recording Notice: Official Sidewalk Photographers will be taking photographs and/or video at any and all venues and events in the Sidewalk Film Festival footprint throughout the duration of the festival. By taking part in this event, you grant Sidewalk Film Festival the right to release, publish, exhibit, or reproduce any photographs or video recordings for advertising, promotional purposes, inclusion on Sidewalk websites or social media, or in any other context intended to promote the Sidewalk Film Festival or Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema. You waive all rights to claims for payment or royalties in connection with the publication of any of these materials and release Sidewalk Film Festival and its officers, employees, and affiliated photographers/videographers from any liability connected with these materials. This consent, waiver, and release extends throughout the universe in perpetuity.

Please email tickets@sidewalkfest.com with any questions.

Travel / Getting Around

Traveling to Sidewalk? Check out our partner hotels. Book quickly! Only a limited number of rooms are available at a discounted rate. We can’t wait to see you in the Magic City!

Flying to Sidewalk? Here is the link to BHM

Parking

Street Parking is available throughout the Festival footprint and is FREE after 5pm weekdays and all day/evening on Saturday and Sunday.

Surface Lot and Garage Parking is also widely available throughout the Festival footprint but rates and terms vary. Check out this handy resource for detailed information about lot/garage parking in the area.

Shuttles

Complimentary shuttle service is provided between the south end of the festival footprint (Sidewalk Cinema) and the north end (BJCC Theatre) with all stops being made on 19th St. Two shuttles will run continuously from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27,
A wheelchair accessible shuttle is also available for door to door service between festival venues for guests who need this service. Lanyard bearers and ticket holders with disabilities will be able to pick-up a business card for our Accessibility Coordinator upon pass/ticket pick-up at the Central Box Office, which will include the number to call or text for service.

Help!

For emergencies: Call 911.
For general Sidewalk-related questions, talk to anyone wearing a Sidewalk volunteer crew T-shirt.
For other assistance, call CAP Downtown (205-251-0111). Available from noon until midnight over the weekend, CAP safety ambassadors will help with non-emergency situations like providing directions or a secure walk to your car. CAP safety ambassadors wear a bright blue polo.
Festival Map

How to Plan Your Schedule

We will screen more than 250 films at this year’s Festival, and since it is impossible to see them all we receive lots of questions about how to make the most of the Festival schedule. We encourage every Festival attendee to use our online schedule to plan their Festival week, which could include films, educational opportunities,  and filmmaker Q & A’s. We’ll be adding events to our schedule through August 19 so be sure to visit the schedule often and look for new additions.

We offer a robust, interactive schedule on our websitein app form, and integrated with Google Calendar/Outlook/iCal.

New to Sched?

Here are a few tips and tricks we think will be helpful for planning your festival experience! Special thanks to Sched for providing these tutorials.

View Session Details

View the full schedule and hover over a session title for details or click through to the sessions details.

Browse Schedule

If you’re looking for a specific session, use the search bar or filter the schedule by color-coded type.

Search or Filter

Add and Remove Sessions from Your Schedule

Click the circle next to the session’s name to make a personal schedule of what you’re looking forward to. Click the checkmark again to remove the session from your schedule.

Add and Remove

View Personal Schedule

Click your profile picture at any time to get back to your personal schedule.
Profile Pic

Mobile Web App

View the Sched site in any mobile browser and you will automatically be served the mobile-optimized version. You can save a shortcut on your home screen.

What to Bring to the Fest

Every year we receive lots of questions about what to bring or not to bring to the Festival and every year we add a few suggestions to the list. This year is no exception.

  • Everyone should bring an open mind and an adventurous spirit.
  • We also recommend bringing sunglasses, umbrella/raincoat, and wearing comfortable shoes.
  • A debit/credit card (some nearby restaurants/vendors will be cashless due to COVID-19).

Please don’t bring: Bad attitudes, weapons of any kind, drugs

Food and Drink

Food Trucks

A variety of food trucks will be on-site for this year’s Festival:

Friday, August 25 on the 1800 Block of 3rd Ave. N. for Opening Night Pre-Party and After Party

  • Eugene’s Hot Chicken
  • Stephen’s Hot Dogs
  • Croix Street Vegan
  • Easy Hemp Co (hemp infused mineral water)
  • Hero Donuts
  • Tamale Queen

Saturday, August 26

  • Traveling Tom’s Coffee Truck (1800 Block 3rd Ave. N.)
  • Ono Ice (1800 Block 3rd Ave. N.)
  • Stephen’s Hotdogs (ASFA Plaza)
  • Croix Street Vegan (ASFA Plaza)

Sunday, August 27

  • Stephen’s Hot Dogs (ASFA Plaza)
  • Vegan Underground (ASFA Plaza)
  • Tay Thai (ASFA Plaza)
  • Traveling Tom’s Coffee Truck (1800 Block 3rd Ave. N.)
  • Ono Ice (1800 Block 3rd Ave. N.)

Additional Food Trucks and Vendors will in located in CityWalk near the BJCC  Theatre.

Fast Casual Dining:

For varied, relatively fast options:
The Pizitz Food Hall (directly above the Sidewalk Cinema):  houses more than a dozen unique restaurants serving options like burgers, poké, tacos, and more.
Coffee Shops and Cafes:

Full-Service Restaurants

Rojo

Grocery and Basics

Publix Super Market at 20 Midtown You can find essentials like basic pharmacy items, as well as groceries, take-away food options, beer and wine.

Digital Balloting

We are moving our audience ballot process to a digital format. You will have information on the pass you receive upon entering the festival to access the digital ballot for the screening you are attending. Simply submit your vote at the conclusion of your screening/s and then plan to join us for the award show on Sunday, August 27 at 9pm at the Lyric Theatre.

Accessibility

Sidewalk is committed to creating experiences that are accessible to all artists, audiences, staff and volunteers. Please review the information below and let us know of any questions or concerns by messaging us at accessibilty@sidewalkfest.com

This is an ongoing effort with many improvements still in process. Your feedback is critical to creating the most inclusive experiences possible.

Read more about accessibility at Sidewalk here.

The Sidewalk Cinema is a KultureCity certified venue. Check in with our Cinema Box Office staff for a KultureCity bag, lap pad, or for other assistance.

Nursing Mother Accommodations

We often hear that Sidewalk feels like a family to our volunteers, our filmmakers and even our audiences and we consider that the highest praise.

With family in mind, we want to be sure that parents and caregivers attending the Festival feel welcomed and cared for.

A lactation room/breastfeeding station is available throughout Festival weekend (Saturday, August 26 and Sunday, August 27) at the Alabama School of Fine Arts just off the main school lobby.

 

August 19-25, 2024

Sidewalk Film Festival

More info