I’ll be picking up my VIP Pass as soon as the Central Box Office opens Monday, August 19 @ 11 to get my mind right for the 26th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival presented by Regions Bank! I have like 100 kids and don’t typically make it out to the Spotlight Nights at the Cinema, but we just had our 101st kid (4th, actually) and I’m currently on Paternity Leave, so I’m going to do my level best to make it out during the week. With programming like Movie Trivia on Monday and Karaoke on Wednesday, it’s going to be hard to keep me away! I’m also very interested in the Black Lens Spotlight film, The South Got Something to Say and the Lip Sync Battle that follows!
FRIDAY (Aug. 23)
OPENING NIGHT! There is really nothing to say here. This is, in my humble opinion, the single best night of the year in Birmingham and not to be missed! Make sure to get your VIP Pass, so you can take advantage of the open bars at the Opening Night Pre-Party AND After Party. I’m also looking forward to the Opening Night film itself, Exhibiting Forgiveness, featuring Bessemer native, André Holland, in the lead role.
SATURDAY (Aug. 24)
This is my 11th year involved with the Festival (either volunteering, co-producing, or serving on the board) and I NEVER miss the Saturday Morning Cartoons! There is simply no better way to start the festival weekend and the commercials always steal the show.
After cereal, Bloody Marys, and 80s/90s cartoons and commercials, I’ll find my way upstairs from the Sidewalk Cinema to the VIP Lounge @ the former SoCu space at The Pizitz. Yet another plug to make sure you get a VIP Pass for the festival, because this is a haven throughout the fest to have more complimentary drinks, food, and recharge/plan your next mov(i)e!
I’ve got two options @ 12:30 – either finally catch Nathan Avakian Silent Film Series @ The Alabama Theatre, where he plays a live score he composed for a silent film on the famous Wurlitzer, “Big Bertha”, or watch a really interesting looking documentary, Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg back down at the Sidewalk Cinema.
Next on the agenda is another of my “can’t miss” programs every year, the Animated Shorts block at the ASFA Recital Hall. This is always one of my favorites and chock full of unique content you’ll likely not catch anywhere else. It will also be cool to see the newly renovated space at ASFA.
Because I’m clearly just going to live at the Sidewalk Cinema on Saturday (FAR worse places to be!), I’m going to head back and catch one of the Secret Screenings. These are surprise screenings and ALWAYS sell out, so I’m hoping I’ll have the good fortune to get into one of them.
I’ve got another game time decision to make for my last screening of the day. I might catch the After Dark Shorts @ ASFA Black Box (another newly renovated space), which is always a great group of shorts, if you like things like Black Mirror. Alternatively, I’ll catch My Name is Alfred Hitchcock at The Lyric. The trailer looks incredibly compelling and The Lyric is one of my absolute favorite places to watch a film.
Lastly, but certainly not least-ly, I’ll head to Workplay for the Saturday Night Party, where we’re allegedly “making a movie, y’all”. I truly can’t overstate how much you need to make sure you get yourself a VIP Pass, which also gets you into what will be another amazing party put on by the incomparable, Jeff Nixon.
SUNDAY (Aug. 25)
Sunday morning at The Alabama is another annual ritual for me, this year with the South Korean thriller Sleep. It’s definitely a vibe and if you ask our Creative Director, Rachel Morgan, it’s the place to be to start your Sunday @ Sidewalk.
Sunday is a day that I typically spend a lot of in the VIP Lounge. I tend to have grand plans to see as many films as I can squeeze in, but I inevitably need some R&R at many points, so I’ll be there with bells when it opens up @ 12.
I caught the trailer for Resynator at the Festival Sneak Peak and I’ve been looking forward to it since, so I’ll mozy my way back to The Alabama Theatre. If you can’t tell yet, I’m a creature of habit, so I’ll be bouncing back-and-forth between The Alabama and VIP Lounge for about 7 hours as I watch another two films I saw trailers for at the Sneak Peak, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (this one is THE FILM I’m most excited about in the entire festival line-up) and the Closing Night Film Missing from Fire Trail Road.
Between the Closing Night Film and the Awards Show @ The Lyric, I’m going to pop back over to the Sidewalk Cinema to see All Happy Families, because the trailer features Josh Radnor and Rob Huebel, and I love those dudes!
P.S. If you’ve never been to Awards Show, do yourself a favor and attend! You’ll be voting for films all weekend and you should go see the filmmakers who win the awards! It’s also a really entertaining program every year.
Thanks for indulging my best laid plans for the 26th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival and don’t hate me if I completely blow them up and stay in the VIP Lounge the entire time and miss everything!
HAPPY SIDEWALK!
Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema Board Member Josh Hickman
Passes + Single Tickets are available NOW at sidewalkfest.com/tix.