Sidewalk sits at 11,500 square feet today… two screens, a classroom, restrooms, a concession stand and bar. We’re adding 4,500 square feet onto that, and here’s what it actually gets us: two more screens, a bigger classroom, more restrooms, and more lobby and gathering space.

The two new screens are built small on purpose… the kind of room where a 30-person screening feels full instead of empty, so we can run more niche titles, more local films, more repertory picks, more of the movies that deserve a Birmingham audience.

The new classroom is bigger than the one we have now, and it’s built to actually hold a crowd: filmmaker masterclasses, public workshops, and the hands-on programs that we offer each year – Filmmaker Networking Nights, Youth Board, Sidewalk Scramble Short Filmmaking Competition, Film and Media College Fair and so many more. 

And the extra lobby and gathering space means there will be plenty of room to breathe between shows, whether that’s grabbing something from the bar or just finding your people before the lights go down.