War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it into minus. Two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery and finally reclaim its daily life. Just as humanity managed to cling to a hard-won peace, a new threat strikes, crushing hope in an instant.

Amanda and her stepfather, Martin, struggle with a moral issue that divides them. Has Amanda's mother, who's suffering from advanced dementia, lost the ability to make critical decisions in her own best interests? And if so, who's responsible for making such a determination? As Amanda and Martin are forced to make increasingly difficult choices, the repercussions soon spiral out of their control.

Shot at night on the rooftops of Tel Aviv, this new investigative documentary from Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, two of the four co-directors of the 2024 Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, and James Wilson and Jonathan Glazer, the Oscar-winning team behind The Zone of Interest, reveals in detail the systems behind Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. NAZA is titled for a military acronym euphemistically used by Israeli intelligence to indicate the number of civilians that it expects will be killed in an airstrike. The film builds on revelations first published by the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine, Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, and the Guardian between 2023 and 2025.

Our 17th Annual $10k Party will be held on Friday, November 6th at Workplay in Birmingham

The legendary Sidewalk $10K Party returns for its seventeenth year! This high-stakes soirée offers lots of chances to win—including the $10,000 grand prize!  Grab yourself a ticket for $100 and get one entry for the $10,000 drawing (1 in 300 odds). You do not have to be present to win.

Sidewalk is made possible each year in part because of our annual fundraising events. These events offer attendees a chance to kick back and have a blast while also supporting their favorite film festival. Proceeds from these events directly benefit not just the festival itself but also Sidewalk’s year-round educational programs. 50/50 Split tickets go on sale mid-October.

Fired from his band and facing eviction, rock-'n-roller Dewey Finn impersonates his roommate, Ned Schneebly, to land a job as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. After discovering the musical talent of his young students, he quietly replaces the standard curriculum with rock and roll history, molding the class into a rock band to compete in the local Battle of the Bands.

Narrated by Emmy® Award-winning actor Kelsey Grammer (“Frasier”), America the Beautiful is a new cinematic experience premiering Veteran’s Day (November 11) at IMAX® and Giant Screen theaters.

Featuring breathtaking large-format cinematography, the immersive theatrical experience celebrates the extraordinary beauty of America as it celebrates 250 years, and the importance of preserving it for future generations.

America the Beautiful is directed by Emmy and Critic’s Choice nominated Jennifer Casey (“Extreme Weather,” “The Last Wright”). Mission Partners Entertainment Group, in association with the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, produced the film funded by America The Beautiful Foundation. Chris Dorsey and Charlie Potter serve as executive producers.

Tickets are available for purchase here. More information is available at https://americathebeautifulmovie.com/.

We want it that way this November at Sidewalk! Spice up your life with Boy Bands vs Girl Groups at Soundtrack Karaoke. Featuring over 200+ songs from a wide range of boy bands and girl groups with elevated choreo, rockstar harmonies and sing-along energy. Feel free to battle it out wearing your favorite band apparel and inspired looks. Hosted by J Matthew Cobb. *This is a free event. Reservations are strongly recommended but not required. SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.*

Harry Lehman is an aging pickpocket who plies his trade with ever-diminishing returns in a drastically changed New York. Wallets stuffed with cash have been replaced by easily canceled credit cards, and Harry struggles to make ends meet as he cares for his disabled wife, Rosie. When he unwittingly purloins and fences a valuable USB stick, Harry finds himself in a race against time to return the loot or face the rage of a vengeful crime family.

Using Who’s The We? as a case study, filmmaker and Northwestern professor Clayton Brown takes apart a scene from the film to look at what happens on location to the choices made later in the edit, including structure, sound, music, and the relationship between what was shot and what ultimately appears onscreen. From there, we’ll zoom out to the larger process of getting an independent documentary across the finish line: finishing, distribution, acquisition, and the sometimes surprising technical and legal deliverables required by broadcasters such as PBS.

Clayton Brown is a documentary and narrative filmmaker interested in exploring the hidden stories and compelling characters that emerge when people pursue their passions. His last three co-directed documentaries (The Atom Smashers, The Believers, and We Believe in Dinosaurs) were distributed nationally and internationally (Gravitas, PBS, 1091, Cinephil, TVS) and played festivals worldwide.

Who's The We? follows Doug Pagitt, a Minneapolis-based pastor and activist, as he leads a small group of riders on a 66-day bicycle journey across the entire United States, tracing the length of the U.S.-Mexico border before continuing along the Gulf coast to St. Augustine, Florida.

Join us for a Q&A with the film's directors after the screening.

The Southern Circuit a program of South Arts and is made possible through a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Filmmaking amateurs and pros alike compete for a grand prize in our weekend long filmmaking competition. Teams will take on 48 hours of writing, directing, and editing your own short film from scratch November 13 -15. CASH PRIZES for Jury and Audience award winners + screening during the 29th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival.

Join us for Kickoff Meeting to get the rules and requirements of this edition of the Sidewalk Scramble! Only 1 person per team needs to attend the kick off meeting and only one person per team needs to register. Teams can be any size. ATTENDING THE KICKOFF MEETING IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE. THE KICK OFF MEETING WILL BE *VIRTUAL* OPEN TO TEAMS IN ANY GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION.

This edition's prizes include:
$500 Jury Prize
$250 Audience Choice Award
Screening during the 29th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival

Early Registration by 11:59pm on OCTOBER 25 - $30
Regular Registration by 11:59pm on NOVEMBER 1- $40
Late Registration by 11:59pm on NOVEMBER 11 - $50

Join us for our Scramble Screening on Wednesday December 2, 7pm at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema (with a virtual option!).

Join us early on Saturday for the first ever Tapesgiving Leftovers movie swap and enjoy Happy Hour at the Sidewalk Cinema Bar! Bring a box of VHS tapes, DVDs, or other cinematic contraband you've got lying around and come prepared to buy, sell, and trade films with your fellow cinephiles or donate your movies to Sidewalk. Who knows, you might just find your physical media holy grail! We'll keep the market going up until the Tapesgiving double feature, but we can't stop you from making shady deals in the parking lot.

The life of classical music figure Leonard Bernstein, whose passion and drive took him well beyond the marvelous music he wrote and conducted.

Come stuff your face with old movies at the third annual Tapesgiving! Admission is FREE, and we'll be screening a mystery double feature of not-so-classics the way they were meant to be seen: on warm, fuzzy VHS and on the big screen. Hosted by Jeremy Burgess of the Dust On The VCR newsletter, this holiday gathering is sure to leave you saying "Wow, we used to make things in this country."

Sidewalk’s Book + Film Club unites movie and book lovers for a monthly film screening. Each session is $35 and the includes book, film screening, and discussion. Select the $15 option for access to the film screening and post film discussion. Dates, descriptions, and registration deadlines below.

Registration Deadline to have books mailed: Monday, November 2nd. Books will be mailed within 72 hours of this date.

Registration Deadline to have books picked up: Monday, November 9th. Books can be picked up from our Box Office during our regular operating hours Thursday & Friday from 2pm til Close and on Saturday & Sunday from 10:30am until close. You will receive an email when your book is ready to be picked up.

Book: Beauty and the Beast: Classic Tales About Animal Brides and Grooms from Around the World Edited by Maria Tatar

Nearly every culture tells the story of Beauty and the Beast in one fashion or another. From Cupid and Psyche to India’s Snake Bride to South Africa’s “Story of Five Heads,” the partnering of beasts and beauties, of humans and animals in all their variety—cats, dogs, frogs, goats, lizards, bears, tortoises, monkeys, cranes, warthogs—has beguiled us for thousands of years, mapping the cultural contradictions that riddle every romantic relationship.

In this fascinating volume, preeminent fairy tale scholar Maria Tatar brings together tales from ancient times to the present and from a wide variety of cultures, highlighting the continuities and the range of themes in a fairy tale that has been used both to keep young women in their place and to encourage them to rebel, and that has entertained adults and children alike. With fresh commentary, she shows us what animals and monsters, both male and female, tell us about ourselves, and about the transformative power of empathy.

Film: La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast) (1946) Dir. Jean Cocteau

A beautiful young woman takes her father's place as the prisoner of a mysterious beast, who wishes to marry her.

In a violent, near-apocalyptic Detroit, evil corporation Omni Consumer Products wins a contract from the city government to privatize the police force. To test their crime-eradicating cyborgs, the company leads street cop Alex Murphy into an armed confrontation with crime lord Boddicker so they can use his body to support their untested RoboCop prototype. But when RoboCop learns of the company's nefarious plans, he turns on his masters.

Join us at the Sidewalk Cinema for Monthly Movie Trivia from 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm, immediately following Networking Nights. Hosted by Owen Roberts. Invite your friends and school your contemporaries over some movie trivia. We'll see you there!

*This is a FREE event and SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.*

At the height of the Cold War, Fatherland centers on the relationship between the writer Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika — an actress, writer and rally driver — as they embark on a road trip in a black Buick cruiser across a Germany in ruins.

Join us for a special screening of John Pasquin's classic. Lights will be a little brighter than usual in the theater so you can bring your knitting, crochet or any other craft project! In collaboration with Knit B'ham.

Film Synopsis: On Christmas Eve, divorced dad Scott Calvin and his son discover Santa Claus has fallen off their roof. When Scott takes the reins of the magical sleigh, he finds he is now the new Santa, and must convince a world of disbelievers, including himself.

Join us for our family matinee series on select Saturday and Sunday mornings. Come cozy in your PJs and from 10am - 2pm enjoy light breakfast options for the whole family, plus a Bloody Mary and Mimosa bar for the grown-ups.

Film Synopsis: The Grinch decides to rob Whoville of Christmas - but a dash of kindness from little Cindy Lou Who and her family may be enough to melt his heart…

A planet hurtles toward a collision course with Earth. Two sisters, one of them trying to recover from a heavy bout of depression and a failed marriage, cope with their destiny in very different ways.

SHOUT Movie Night is a film series presented and curated by BAO (Birmingham AIDS Outreach) in conjunction with Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema. Our goal is to offer a diverse and inclusive film series that ensures all members of our community are represented.*This is a FREE event and SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. Registering is strongly recommended to help with the check in process but does NOT GUARANTEE A SEAT, and due to the popularity of this event seats can not be saved for anyone who has not arrived.*

Film Synopsis: An uptight, conservative businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his eccentric and outgoing family’s annual Christmas celebration and finds that she’s a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life.

The 7th annual Bad Movie Marathon is coming! Do you have what it takes to sit through terrible movies? Give it your best shot and help us fundraise in the process! Bringing only the worst of the worst movies, spend an entire weekend in our theater trying to outlast your fellow competitors, or you know, until you can't take any more.

OCEAN in Concert takes viewers on a breathtaking journey, revealing that there is nowhere more vital to our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean. With narration by David Attenborough and music by composer Steven Price, this extraordinary film is brought vividly to life with the ASFA Symphony Orchestra performing the score live and in synchronization with the stunning imagery on screen.

Stunning, immersive cinematography showcases the wonder of life beneath the seas while exposing the realities and challenges facing our oceans as never before — from destructive fishing techniques to mass coral reef bleaching. Yet the story remains one of optimism, as Attenborough highlights inspirational stories from around the globe to deliver his most powerful message: the ocean can recover to a glory beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.

Presented by esk film in association with Silverback Films, Ocean 25, All3Media, Altitude Films, National Geographic, and Steven Price.

The Woman with a Guardian Angel” is an intimate, visually striking short film that follows a woman navigating life’s most vulnerable moments, accompanied by a mysterious presence that watches over her. This film blends raw emotion, poetic visuals, and subtle supernatural elements to tell a story about protection, faith, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Through compelling performances and cinematic storytelling, the film invites viewers to question the boundaries between reality and the unseen, and to reflect on the invisible forces that shape our lives. It is a heartfelt exploration of connection, destiny, and the courage it takes to face life’s challenges, all while highlighting the quiet strength found in everyday moments