The Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival is an annual film festival scheduled over one weekend in late September in Birmingham, Alabama, since 1999. The festival takes place at seven venues located within Birmingham's historic Theatre District, featuring the newly-restored Alabama Theatre

Alabama Theatre

The Alabama Theatre is a movie palace in Birmingham, Alabama. It was built in 1927 by Paramount's Publix Theatre chain as its flagship theater for the southeastern region of the United States. Seating 2,500 people at the time, it was the largest in the Birmingham Theatre district...

, a 2,200 seat movie palace built by Paramount in 1927, and the Carver Theatre.

In 2006, the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival recognized writer/director John Sayles

John Sayles

John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"...

 and producer Maggie Renzi for their more than two decades of collaboration in independent film, which includes such acclaimed indie classics as The Brother From Another Planet

The Brother from Another Planet

The Brother from Another Planet is a science fiction film written, directed and edited by John Sayles. It stars Joe Morton as an extraterrestrial who has escaped to Earth and who hides in New York City.-Plot:...

, Passion Fish

Passion Fish

Passion Fish is a 1992 American film written and directed by John Sayles. The film stars Mary McDonnell, Alfre Woodard, Vondie Curtis-Hall, David Strathairn, Leo Burmester, and Angela Bassett....

, Lone Star

Lone Star (1996 film)

Lone Star is an American mystery film written and directed by John Sayles and set in a small town in Texas. It features Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Peña, Kris Kristofferson and Matthew McConaughey and deals with a sheriff's investigation into who murdered one of his predecessors.-Plot:In this ensemble...

, and the Sidewalk 2004 Opening Night Film, Silver City.

In 2005, Sidewalk honored acclaimed film actor John C. Reilly

John C. Reilly

John Christopher Reilly, Jr. is an American film and theater actor, singer, and comedian. Debuting in Casualties of War in 1989, he is one of several actors whose careers were launched by Brian De Palma. To date, he has appeared in more than fifty films, including three separate films in 2002...

with the inaugural Spirit of Sidewalk award.

Award Winners

13th Annual Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival: August 26 - August 28, 2011

Jury Awards, 2011

• Best Feature: Narrative - Without, Dir: Mark Jackson
• Best Feature: Documentary - Guilty Pleasures, Dir: Julie Moggan
• Best Short: Narrative - Terrebonne, Dir: Jeremy Craig
• Best Short: Documentary - Mr. Happy Man, Dir: Matt Morris
• Best Animated Film - Bike Race, Dir: Tom Schroeder
• Best Alabama Film - The Chief, Dir: Christopher Scott and Mary Baschab
• Clint Howard Character Actor Award - Sean Nelson, in Treatment
• Special Breakout Performance Award - Nate Rubin, in Wuss
• Kathryn Tucker Windham Award for Storytelling - Two-Legged Rat Bastards, Dir: Scott Weintrob
• Best Student Film - An Inconvenient Youth, Dir: Slater Jewell-Kemker

Audience Choice Awards, 2011

• Best Feature: Narrative - A Bag of Hammers, Dir: Brian Crano
• Best Feature: Documentary - Man in the Glass: The Dale Brown Story, Dir: Patrick Sheehan
• Best Short: Narrative - Annie and Her Anger, Dir: Tam Le
• Best Short: Documentary - The Dancer, Dir: Seth Stark
• Best Alabama Film - The Man in the Glass: The Dale Brown Story, Dir Patrick Sheehan

Other Awards, 2011

• Sidewalk Programmers Award - Small Pond, Dir: Josh Slates

External links

• Official Site
• Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival at the Fargo Filmmaking Wiki Project