Alabama’s Sidewalk Film Festival turns 25 this year, and that’s reason to celebrate. Organizers have planned a full week of events, including movie screenings, panel discussions and parties.

If you’re a newcomer to Sidewalk, here’s what you need to know about the fest in downtown Birmingham. Veterans? It’s time to go over the details for 2023, to make sure your plans run smoothly.

DATES

Sidewalk takes place from Monday, Aug. 21, through Sunday, Aug. 27. The festival’s opening night film is scheduled for Friday, and Sidewalk proper runs through Sunday at several venues downtown. However, movie fans can get an early start, Monday through Thursday, at “Spotlight Night” events at the Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema.

READ: Alabama in the spotlight with these movies at Sidewalk Film Festival 2023

MONDAY, AUG. 21

Alabama Spotlight happy hour, 5 p.m.; Alabama Spotlight Night: Shorts, 7 p.m.; TVs of Terror and Under the Mountain present “Possession,” 9 p.m.; “Welcome to the J: Inside Army Jungle School,” 9:15 p.m.; all at Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema, 1821 Second Ave. North, lower level of Pizitz building.

TUESDAY, AUG. 22

Tech Tuesday, AI and Filmmaking, panel discussion and lunch, 11:30 a.m.; Music Licensing for Musicians and Filmmakers led by Craig Brandwein, 2 p.m.; Life & Liberty Spotlight happy hour and premiere of “Let’s Be Clear,” 5 p.m.; Life & Liberty Spotlight Night: “Break the Game,” 7 p.m.; all at Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema, 1821 Second Ave. North, lower level of Pizitz building.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 23

Beyond the Screen: Media Literacy 101, 3:30 p.m.; Birmingham Public Library, Central Branch, 2100 Park Place.

SHOUT LGBTQ+ Spotlight happy hour, 5 p.m.; SHOUT LGBTQ+ Spotlight Night: “Kokomo City,” 7 p.m.; SHOUT LGBTQ+ Film Trivia, 9 p.m.; all at Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema, 1821 Second Ave. North, lower level of Pizitz building.

THURSDAY, AUG. 24

Black Lens Spotlight happy hour, 5 p.m.; Black Lens Spotlight Night: Shorts, 7 p.m.; Black Lens Spotlight Night: Bingo, 9 p.m.; all at Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema, 1821 Second Ave. North, lower level of Pizitz building.

FRIDAY, AUG. 25

Opening Night pre-party, 5 p.m., 1800 block of Third Ave. North; opening night film, “Art for Everybody,” 7 p.m., Alabama Theatre, 1817 Third Ave. North; opening night after-party, 9 p.m., 1800 block of Third Ave. North; Opening Night After Dark: “Hello Dankness,” 10 p.m., Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema, 1821 Second Ave. North, lower level of Pizitz building.

SATURDAY, AUG. 26

Movie screenings and other events, 10 a.m. through midnight. Includes Saturday Morning Cartoons, 10 a.m., Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema; “Restoration: The Life & Stories of the Lyric Theatre” 10:15 a.m., Lyric Theatre; “Nathan-ism,” 2:35 p.m., Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema; “Jasper Mall,” 3:20 p.m., BJCC Forum Theater; “Dig!,” 5:20 p.m.; Kress Building Ballroom; “Queens of Birmingham,” 6 p.m., Alabama Theatre; “Don’t Die,” 8:30 p.m., BJCC Theatre; “Poundcake,” 10:30 p.m., Dorothy Jemison Day Theater, Alabama School of Fine Arts. See the full schedule here.

SUNDAY, AUG. 27

Movie screenings and other events, 10 a.m. through 10:35 p.m. Includes “You Hurt My Feelings,” 10:30 a.m., Alabama Theatre; “Lynch/Oz,” 1 p.m., Lyric Theatre; “Shuttlesworth,” 2:45 p.m., Dorothy Jemison Day Theater, Alabama School of Fine Arts; “Carpet Cowboys,” 3:20 p.m., BJCC Theatre; “A Disturbance in the Force,” 3:30 p.m., Lyric Theatre; “It’s Only Life After All,” 6 p.m., Alabama Theatre; Awards Show, 9 p.m., Lyric Theatre; “Finding Lucinda,” 9 p.m., Kress Building Ballroom; “Summer of Blood,” 9:05 p.m., Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema. See the full schedule here.

VENUES

• Alabama School of Fine Arts, 1800 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., lecture hall, gallery, Dorothy Jemison Day Theater.
• Alabama Theatre, 1817 Third Ave. North.
• Birmingham Museum of Art, 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd.
• BJCC Theatre, off 11th Ave. North near 19th St. North, part of Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex campus, Birmingham.
• BJCC Forum Theater, 1001 19th St. North.
• First Church Birmingham, 518 19th St. North.
• Kress Building Ballroom, 301 19th St. North.
• Lyric Theatre, 1800 Third Ave. North.
• Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema, 1821 Second Ave. North, lower level of Pizitz building.
• VIP lounge, Kress Building Penthouse, 301 19th St. North.
• Main box office and VIP pass pickup, Theatre Lofts, 1816 Third Ave. North, across from Alabama Theatre. See the festival map here.

TICKETS

Weekend passes are $115; VIP passes are $315; day passes are $50. Admission to Friday’s opening night film and party is $40. A Saturday night party pass is $25. Admission to each Spotlight film is $15, $5 for VIP pass holders. It’s $15 ($5 for VIP pass holders) for admission to “Hello Dankness,” a 10 p.m. screening on Friday. Premium single tickets to specific films cost $15 apiece, and guarantee admission to the screening. Advance tickets and more info here.

General admission tickets are $10 per film, available at the festival box offices during the event. GA tickets have the lowest priority for seating — you have to wait until other ticketholders enter the venue before going in — but can be used for any film on Saturday or Sunday.

PARKING

Street parking is available throughout downtown Birmingham, and is free after 5 p.m. weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday. Several parking lots and garages can be found downtown, as well. (Sidewalk suggests the Parkopedia site as a resource for parking locations, prices and other info.)

SHUTTLES

A free shuttle service runs on the festival site, Saturday (10 a.m.-midnight) and Sunday (10 a.m.-9 p.m.) Shuttles run “between the south end of the festival footprint (Sidewalk Cinema) and the north end (BJCC Theatre) with all stops being made on 19th St,” the Sidewalk website says.

FOOD AND DRINKS

Food trucks will be on site. Also, several restaurants and coffee shops are available downtown, including the Pizitz Food Hall, Bistro 218, Trattoria ZaZa, Frothy Monkey, brick & tin, Tasty Town and The Yard at the Elyton Hotel. More info can be found in the Sidewalk FAQs.

HISTORY

The Sidewalk Film Festival (formerly called the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival) was founded in 1998 by Erik Jambor, Alan Hunter, Michele Forman and others who wanted to develop an independent film community in Birmingham and bring more indie movies here. The first edition of Sidewalk was held in 1999. Read more about Sidewalk here.

MORE INFO

Sidewalk has a website, Facebook page, Instagram page, YouTube channel and feed on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Note: “Welcome to the J” is directed by Graham Flanagan, who is brother to AL.com’s Ben Flanagan. “Don’t Die” is co-written and produced by former AL.com contributor Jeremy Burgess.