22nd Annual Sidewalk Film Festival presented by Regions Bank

AFTER SELMA & FINDING THE CORNERSTONE, a Black Lens Double Feature.

AFTER SELMA
Directed by Loki Mulholland
Run Time: 46 Minutes
Synopsis: In 1965, six hundred brave citizens marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge for the right to vote. Since that iconic moment, and the passage of the Voting Rights Act, a concerted campaign to suppress voting rights in America has continued.

FINDING THE CORNERSTONE: The Wallace A. Rayfield Story
Directed by Dwight Cameron
Run Time 58 Minutes
Synopsis: This film tells the story of two men, separated by race, education and time, but united by happenstance.

Trailer

Screen 2 is sponsored by AIDS Alabama.

The Pink House
Documentary Short - Alabama
22 Minutes
Dir. Kenzie Greer
USA
A story about Homewood, Alabama’s infamous “pink house”, a place for artist mentorship and community development that impacted the lives of many.

Full Circle: The Ballad of Rodney & Roscoe
Documentary Short - Alabama, Black Lens
15 Minutes
Dir. Tyler Jones
USA
Two BBQ family legacies come together in Birmingham, Al as Roscoe Hall and Rodney Scott forge a new path to bring whole hog cooking to the world.

Feed The Need
Documentary Short - Alabama, Black Lens
7 Minutes
Dir. Lauren Musgrove
USA
Welcome to Drexell & Honeybee's in Brewton, Alabama - a restaurant with no menu, no prices and no staff.

Dough
Documentary Short - Alabama
4 Minutes
Dir. Stacy Elaine Dacheux
USA
A woman draws from a history of mothers while making dough and baking.

Wishes
Documentary Short - SHOUT
5.5 Minutes
Dir. Amy Jenkins
USA
The secret yearnings of a child for an alternate identity are traced through a decade of birthday wishes filmed by their mother.

Silences
Documentary Short - Black Lens
32 Minutes
Dir. Nolan Knight
USA
Adia Victoria seeks to reclaim the blues as protest music. Along the way, Adia builds a tight-knit community of like-minded musicians, artists, poets, entrepreneurs and family.

Hobson City: From Peril to Promise
Documentary Short - Alabama, Black Lens
27.5 Minutes
Dir. Theo M. Moore II
USA
The inspiring and historic community of Hobson City, Alabama tells their story of being the first city in Alabama to be entirely governed by African Americans and traces the town's journey through reconstruction, the civil rights movement, and modern day times.

Join us for a Q & A on our Facebook Live with Kenzie Greer (The Pink House and Into the Black) - happening Saturday, August 29th at 4 PM CDT. We'll have some questions prepared but you can ask yours in the comments!

Edwin
Doc Short
US
Directed By: Ya'Ke Smith
Run Time 8:45
Synopsis: Edwin Debrow Jr. murdered a cab driver when he was 12. He was sentenced to forty-years in prison. Today he's walking out.

Directed by Abby Ginzberg
Not Rated
1 hour 22 minutes
Documentary Feature

Synopsis: Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me tells the complex story of Representative Barbara Lee, a steadfast voice for human rights, peace and equality in the U.S. Congress who cut her teeth as a volunteer for the Black Panther Party and was the lone voice in opposition to the broad authorization of military force after the September 11th attacks. Rep. John Lewis, Senator Cory Booker, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Actor Danny Glover, CNN commentator Van Jones, and author Alice Walker share insights about what makes Barbara Lee unique as a public servant and as a truth-telling African American woman.

Barbershop (2002)
Rated PG-13
Directed by Tim Story
Run Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes

Wednesday, August 26th at 8:00pm

Synopsis: Calvin Palmer Jr. (Ice Cube) decides he has had enough of trying to keep open the Chicago barbershop his father handed down to him. He cannot borrow, revenues are falling, and he seems more interested in get-rich-quick schemes to bring in easy money. Without telling his employees or customers, he sells the barbershop to a greedy loan shark, Lester Wallace (Keith David), who secretly plans to turn it into a strip club.

Screen 2 is sponsored by AIDS Alabama.

A Song Can Change A Life
Documentary Short - Black Lens
16.5 Minutes
Dir: Warren Matson
USA
In this little known history of America’s first Black Country Western duo, a theme of reconciliation addresses race relations and an end of estrangement between a father and son.

Dafa Metti
Documentary Short - Black Lens
14.5 Minutes
Dir: Tal Amiran
UK/France
Under Paris' glittering Eiffel Tower, undocumented Senegalese migrants sell miniature souvenirs of the monument to support their families back home. Far from their loved ones and hounded by the police, each day is a struggle through darkness in the City of Lights.

Coby and Stephen are in Love
Documentary Short
28 Minutes
Dir: Carlo Nasisse and Yuanyuan Yang
USA
Coby Yee, a 92 year old retired nightclub dancer and icon from San Francisco Chinatown, and Stephen King, an experimental filmmaker 20 years her junior have found an unlikely love in each other through matching outfits, dance, and art.

One in a Million
Documentary Short - Alabama
6.5 Minutes
Dir. Tamika Moore and Lauren Musgrove
USA
Jeremy Harper holds the Guinness World Record for highest number counted out loud: 1 million. It was a strange and challenging journey to get there, with a 24 hour live stream and 89 days spent inside his apartment.

Moving Spirits: History of the Enslaved & Civil Rights: Through Movement, Dance & Song
Documentary Short - Black Lens
32 Minutes
Dir. Jennifer Mizenko and Rhondalyn Peairs
USA
Do you know the stories of the enslaved persons who built the buildings you walk into on a daily basis? What is the ideology behind the symbols we walk by every day? Witness the process of members of the Lafayette/Oxford/University of Mississippi community learn and embody their local history.

Above the Search
Documentary Short - Alabama, Black Lens
3 Minutes
Dir. Sonya Sam Mitchell
USA
Above the Search is a short film composed of uniquely captured photos that portray our journey through life while searching for the key to the mystery of daily existence.

All I Have to Offer You is Me
Documentary Short - Alabama, Black Lens
14 Minutes
Dir. Dillon Hayes
USA
In 1990, Larry Callies was an aspiring country-western singer on the verge of signing a record deal with MCA Nashville, but when he developed a degenerative vocal cord disease that took his voice and ended his singing career, he had to start over completely.

Engage Earth
Documentary Short
15.5 Minutes
Dir. James Choi
Brazil
A look inside Brazilian artist Denise Milan and her long ongoing work with stones leading to an impactful art program in Heliópolis, one of the largest favelas in the Americas located outside of Sao Paulo.

ANIMATED SHORTS
Not Rated
Run time 1 hour 55 minutes

Tiger and Ox
Documentary Short
8.5 Minutes
Dir. Seunghee Kim
Republic of Korea
A single mother and her daughter have a conversation about what divorce means to women in Korean patriarchal society.

If Anything Happens I Love You
Narrative Short
13 Minutes
Dir. Will McCormack and Michael Govier
USA
Grieving parents struggle with the loss of their daughter after a school shooting.

The Treasures of Mrs. Grady's Library
Documentary Short - Black Lens
3 Minutes
Dir. Richard O'Connor
USA
Judge Olly Neal recounts how a book — and a little nudge from two helpful librarians — turned him around academically.

Kirby in Portal
Narrative Short - Teen
2 Minutes
Dir. Duncan Holditch
USA
Kirby goes on an adventure through several test chambers, finding chaos at every corner. Will he make it?

Spark
Narrative Short - Student
4 Minutes
Dir. Charles Benevento and Matthew Colglazier
USA
In a dystopian, off world factory, a worn out worker robot discovers a golden record that plays a song that gives him a new purpose in life.

Virus Quest
Narrative Short - Alabama
5 Minutes
Dir. Fletcher Ash
USA
A warrior wielding a magic sword must stop the spread of an evil virus.

Umbilical
Documentary Short - SHOUT, Student
7 Minutes
Dir. Danski Tang
USA/China
A mother and her daughter explore issues surrounding abuse and survival in Chinese society.

Grab My Hand: A Letter To My Dad
Documentary Short - Black Lens
5 Minutes
Dir. Camrus Johnson, Pedro Piccinini
USA
An animated love letter from a son to his grieving father who just lost his best friend.

Kite
Narrative Short
16 Minutes
Dir. HongWei Wang
China
One day a strange little white man picked up a mysterious huge box and discovered a little grey man inside of it.

Tobi and the Turbobus
Narrative Short
7.5 Minutes
Dir. Verena Fels
Germany
You fly with no seat! That's the rule in the Turbobus. To get one is a hard day job for a young wolf on his turbo-journey to find real friendship.

Mizuko
Documentary Short
15 Minutes
Dir. Kira Dane and Katelyn Rebelo
USA/Japan
Inspired by the Japanese Buddhist “water child memorial” ritual, a half-Japanese American woman reexamines abortion ethics after becoming pregnant herself.

The Odyssey of Cleve Eaton
Documentary Short - Alabama, Black Lens
4 Minutes
Dir. Kevin Webb
USA
A surreal journey with musician extraordinaire and Birmingham native Cleve Eaton.

Cruel Shoes
Narrative Short
2 Minutes
Dir. Kevan Peterson
USA
A woman goes into a shoe store, and leaves with... cruel shoes. Based on the short story "Cruel Shoes," by Steve Martin.

Toss
Narrative Short - Student
3 Minutes
Dir. Carl D'Arpa
USA
Life through the eyes of a frog being thrown high into the air by a rambunctious young boy.

I Am He Who Created Himself
Experimental Short - Teen
3.5 Minutes
Dir. Emma Penaz Eisner
USA
Joining with his shadow, the first god creates himself, the progenitor of humanity.

Wanderer of Planet Parallelogram
Narrative Short - Black Lens, Student
4 Minutes
Dir. Nnamdi Anyaele
USA
A young astronaut gets marooned on a desert planet, and her presence alerts a mysterious inhabitant.

Everything You Need To Know About Pierogi
Narrative Short
3 Minutes
Dir. Jonathan Phillips
USA
Everything one may need to know about pierogi, and then more.

Sleepy HEAD
Experimental Short - Alabama, Student
3 Minutes
Dir. Kenny Saylor
USA
Just another morning turns into a day to remember.

WALT
Narrative Short
4 Minutes
Dir. Greg Yagolnitzer and Brendan Walter
USA
A small, egg-shaped creature named Walt struggles with ordinary life in New York City.

In an Empty Wood
Documentary Short - Student
2.5 Minutes
Dir. Chia-Hsin Lee
USA
A poetic exploration addressing the jealousy of seeing someone succeed in a path you once considered.

Join us for a Q & A on our Facebook Live w/ Kevin Webb and Kwani Dickerson-Carson (The Odyssey of Cleve Eaton) - happening Friday, August 28th at 4 PM CDT. We'll have some questions prepared but you can ask yours in the comments!

Screen 1 is sponsored by Great Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Gossamer
Narrative Short - Black Lens
14.5 Minutes
Dir. Charlie Schmidlin
USA
An Illinois farming family on the verge of collapse faces an uncertain future when livestock disappear and a tick finds a host.

Brother
Narrative Short - Black Lens
15 Minutes
Dir. Ya’ke
USA
Jason and Caleb have been friends for the better part of a decade, but then Caleb’s brother comes home.

Inverted
Narrative Short - Black Lens, Alabama
5 Minutes
Dir. Marcus January
USA
Kevin comes home to an unexpected situation with his housemate.

Adullam
Narrative Short - Black Lens
14 Minutes
Dir. Regina Hoyles
USA
A young Chicago woman with a well-kept secret enjoys a typical day in the south suburbs.

Coup d'etat Math
Documentary Short - Black Lens
7.5 Minutes
Dir. Sai Selvarajan
USA
The film explores four different immigrant stories - a fight to be born, a fight to survive, a fight to find your place, and the fight to maintain.

Good Guy with a Gun
Narrative Short - Black Lens
20 Minutes
Dir. Bryian Montgomery
USA
An incel walks us through his newfound epiphany on why he decided to buy a gun.

Slave 2
Narrative Short - Black Lens, Alabama
8 Minutes
Dir. Rico Shay
USA
Ancestors from the past and the lineage of the present are compared to what they are enslaved to mentally.

Hangry
Narrative Short - Black Lens
7.5 Minutes
Dir. Clint Till
USA
An elderly man attempts to right a lunchtime wrong.

A Mother
Narrative Short - Black Lens
16 Minutes
Dir. Natasha K Ngaiza
As a town copes with the disappearance of a little girl, a mother of two must come to terms with her own decision to abort an unexpected pregnancy.

Join us for a Q & A on our Facebook Live with Clint Till (Hangry) - happening Tuesday, August 25th at 11 AM CDT. We'll have some questions prepared but you can ask yours in the comments!

Join us for a Q & A on our Facebook Live with Rico Shay (Slave 2) - happening Thursday, August 27th at 11 AM CDT. We'll have some questions prepared but you can ask yours in the comments!

Join us for a Q & A on our Facebook Live with Bryian Montgomery, Jr. (Good Guy With A Gun) - happening Saturday, August 29th at 3 PM CDT. We'll have some questions prepared but you can ask yours in the comments!

Screen #2 is sponsored by AIDS Alabama.

Hurricane Creekkeeper
Environmental Short - Documentary, Alabama
6.5 Minutes
Dir. William Green
USA
Hurricane Creek in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama has a unique and diverse ecosystem that is unmatched in other parts of the world. Follow elder “creekkeeper” John Wathen as he delves into the importance of protecting the creek.

ELVERS
Environmental Short - Documentary
15.5 Minutes
Dir. Rachael Morrison
USA
Along the coast of Maine in late winter, millions of baby freshwater eels called “elvers” float up tidal rivers and propel a highly lucrative international seafood trade. ELVERS follows an eclectic cast of characters who describe what happened when this small-town Maine fishery exploded into a gold rush and blackmarket.

The Mystical Migration of the Monarch
Environmental Short - Documentary, Alabama
14.5 Minutes
Dir. Fairn Whatley and Suzanne Damrich
USA
Monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles between Mexico and the United States each year and have a unique relationship to the Gulf Coast. However, their numbers are dwindling and their population is at risk due to habitat loss.

Into The Black
Environmental Short - Documentary, Alabama
20 Minutes
Dir. Kenzie Greer
USA
Human ignited “prescribed fire”, also known as controlled burns, are an essential technique to maintain and restore critical habitats of forest ecosystems in Alabama.

50 Little Birds
Environmental Short - Documentary, Alabama
9 Minutes
Dir. Hannah Lindgren
USA
Indiana folk artist Geoff Davis reflects on his back on his life and shares how he found peace through reconnecting with nature and art.

Something About a Little River
Environmental Short - Documentary, Alabama
17 Minutes
Dir. Jeb Brackner
USA
There's only one river in North America that flows entirely on top of a mountain -- the Little River in Northeast Alabama. For over 100 years, the Little River Canyon has attracted visitors with its geology, biodiversity, and breathtaking beauty.

Waters of the U.S.
Environmental Short - Documentary, Alabama
21 Minutes
Dir. Remi Escudié
USA
Many rivers, streams, and wetlands of Alabama are being threatened by the proposed rolling back of crucial protections detailed in the Clean Water Act. This film explores the economic benefits, ecological health, and cultural way of life that hang in the balance.

Conviction
Environmental Short - Documentary, Alabama, Black Lens
24 Minutes
Dir. Kristy Choi
USA
After a high-profile bribery scandal led to the convictions of the three powerful conspirators, the community they targeted is left in the dust to find relief from decades of toxic air and soil pollution. Community members in the North Birmingham neighborhoods of Collegeville, Harriman Park, and Fairmont tell their personal stories and share their struggles as they seek a healthier life for the generations of the future.

Join us for a Q & A on our Facebook Live with Kenzie Greer (The Pink House and Into the Black) - happening Saturday, August 29th at 4 PM CDT. We'll have some questions prepared but you can ask yours in the comments!

Join us for a Q & A on our Facebook Live w/ Fairn Whatley and Suzanne Barrow (The Mystical Migration of the Monarch) - happening Wednesday, August 26th at 1 PM CDT. We'll have some questions prepared but you can ask yours in the comments!

Narrative, USA
Black Lens, Life & Liberty
Director: David Midell
Runtime: 83 Minutes

Synopsis: Based on the true story of the events that led to the death of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., an elderly African American veteran with bipolar disorder, who was killed during a conflict with police officers who were dispatched to check on him.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/338803742/4cbe756a4b
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8906722/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Paris is Burning (1990)
Rated R
Directed by Jennie Livingston
Run Time: 1 hour, 11minutes
Saturday, August 29th at 10:30pm

Synopsis: 30-Year Anniversary screening. This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City’s African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, Paris Is Burning offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion “houses,” from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women—including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza—Paris Is Burning brings it, celebrating the joy of movement, the force of eloquence, and the draw of community.

Thank you to AIDS Alabama for being our SHOUT Title Sponsor this year!