2011 SIDEWALK FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP REVEALED

The 2011 Sidewalk Film Festival, running August 26-28, 2011 in Birmingham, Alabama, has announced its full lineup. Lots of films playing over the course of the three-day event, so choose your screening schedule wisely. From the official press release:

The Sidewalk Film Festival is proud to announce the 2011 line-up and schedule for the Festival taking place August 26th – 28th in downtown Birmingham.

Film Line-up and Schedule:
Features:
Feature Film Listings in Alphabetical Order
*Indicates that individual will be in attendance

American Decaf
Director: Heidi Van Lier*
NAR/USA/80mins
American Decaf shadows a gaggle of characters as they try to bumble through a coffee-less day in The San Fernando Valley. The film’s punchy script is filled with memorable dialogue that is well played by the cast and well directed by festival favorite Heidi Van Lier.
Sat Aug. 27th 10:15am RMTC Cabaret Theatre

Armadillo
Director: Janus Metz Pederson
DOC/Denmark/105mins
Follows Danish soldiers stationed at a base in southern Afghanistan. When battle engages, the cameras are caught in the middle and all hell breaks open.
Sat Aug. 27th 12:50pm Alabama Theatre

Autoeroctic
Co-directors: Adam Wingard and Joe Swanberg
NAR/USA/72mins
An anthology comedy that centers on the theme of, well, self-gratification. A collaborative effort between Sidewalk alum Joe Swanberg and Birmingham’s Adam Wingard, the film tells several extremely awkward-yet-hilarious tales, all taking place in Chicago.
Sat Aug. 27th 10:00pm Alabama Theatre Loft

The Bad Penny
Director: Todd Bellanca
NAR/USA/93mins
In this super-gritty fighter story, a mysterious stranger traveling in Bangkok discovers Jack “The Ripper” Stemmons running a bar. Jack, once a remarkable boxer on his way up the ranks, got severely screwed by a powerful bookie (played by Tom Arnold). Jack got his revenge, but consequently had to hide out on the other side of the world.
Sat Aug. 27th 10:10pm Hill Event Center

A Bag of Hammers
Director: Brian Crano*
NAR/USA/87mins
Longtime friends Adam and Ben are overgrown children who steal cars and plot scams to finance their lifestyle. Their carefree lives are upset when a ruffian kid and his struggling mom move in next door. Jake Sandvig, Rebecca Hall and Jason Ritter deliver standout performances in this funny and hearty coming-of-age late in life comedy-drama.
Sat Aug. 27th 12:45pm Carver Theatre

Beatboxing: The Fifth Element of Hip Hop
Director: Klaus Schneyder
DOC/USA/55mins
A comprehensive look at the musical art form of beatboxing. The documentary traces the style through its emergence in hip-hop culture to its heyday in the 1980s, following its move underground to its revival in the 1990s. The film features artists from all over the globe, from the genre’s birthplace of New York City, to the United Kingdom, Austria and beyond.
Sun Aug. 28th 4:50pm Alabama Theatre Loft

The Catechism Cataclysm
Director: Todd Rohal
NAR/USA/75mins
Father William Smoortser is a priest that drops his bible into a toilet at a rest stop just before embarking on a day-long canoe trip — breaking loose all glorious hell.
Sat Aug 27th 10:05pm Alabama Theatre

David
Director: Joel Fendelman*
NAR/USA/80mins
A powerful and entertaining film, David packs in a long history of religious tension with elegance and respect. Its star, Muatasem Mishal, carries the film like a trained veteran. It’s a story that should appeal to all ages and personal beliefs
Sat Aug. 27th 4:15pm McWane Ruston Theatre

The Dish and the Spoon
Director: Alison Bagnall*
NAR/USA/82mins
Rose (Greta Gerwig) is in a tailspin after her husband admits to an affair with her childhood friend, Emma. Hell-bent on hunting Emma down in the seaside town where Rose spent summers with her family, she instead stumbles into the role of reluctant babysitter to a stranded 19 year-old British boy (Olly Alexander).
Sun Aug. 28th 12:35pm RMTC Cabaret Theatre

Dragonslayer
Director: Tristan Patterson*
DOC/USA/74mins
The film captures former pro-skater Josh “Screech” Sandoval at a crossroads, facing decisions about profession and lifestyle, as well as confronting outside pressures to conform.
Sat Aug. 27th 3:20pm Alabama Theatre

Eleanor’s Secret
Family Film Festival
Director: Dominique Monfery
Animated /France/80mins
Eleanor leaves her 7 year-old nephew, Nat, her renowned book collection. Nat, amazingly, discovers that the characters in the books are able to come to life.
Sun Aug. 28th 12:10pm McWane Rushton Theatre

Fort McCoy
Family Film Festival
Directors: Kate Connor* and Michael Worth
NAR/USA/101mins
In Fort McCoy actress and first-time screenwriter, Kate Connor, retells her family’s experience living next to a Nazi POW camp during WWII. Only a small fence separates the Stirn family’s home from the camp, a proximity that leads to a great deal of turmoil.
Sun Aug. 28th 4:10pm McWane Rushton Theatre

The Goonies
Director: Richard Donner
NAR/USA/114mins
A group of kids embark on a wild adventure after finding a pirate treasure map.
Sat Aug. 27th 8:45pm Outdoor Screen at Sidewalk Center

The Greater Good
Co-Directors: Chris Pilaro and Kendall Nelson*
DOC/USA/84mins
The documentary seeks to generate “a rational discussion” about vaccines and possible related dangers. Included are interviews with vaccine advocates such as Dr. Melinda Wharton (National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases) as well as those who fall on the other side of the issue, such as Dr. Bob Sears (author of The Vaccine Book).
Sat Aug. 27th 2:55pm Hill Event Center

Green
Director: Sophia Takal*
NAR/USA/75mins
An intimate friendship between two women dissolves as they are drawn into an irrational, destructive spiral of jealously and paranoid fantasy in this haunting examination of the female psyche.
Sun Aug. 28th 6:25pm Alabama Theatre Loft

Guilty Pleasures
Director: Julie Moggan
DOC/UK/86mins
This documentary travels the globe to tell the true stories of devoted fans of the Harlequin Romance novel and reveals everyone’s longing for romantic love in their lives.
Sun Aug. 28th 2:50pm Alabama Power Auditorium

Helldriver
Director: Yoshihiro Nishimura
NAR/Japan/118mins
A completely insane story about a zombie-infested Tokyo, and one brave girl with a chainsaw sword who sets out to stop the evil Zombie Queen from total domination
Sat Aug. 27th 7:30pm Carver Theatre

Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians
Director: Bryan Storkel*
DOC/USA/94mins
One of the largest card counting teams in the U.S. just happens to be made up of Christians. The Churchteam, as they call themselves, pool money to play high stakes blackjack. The concept for many of the players is that, through the art of card counting, casinos can be taken for tons of money, thereby allowing good to triumph over evil.
Sat Aug. 27th 12:30pm RMTC Cabaret Theatre

Homecoming
Director: Sean Hackett*
NAR/USA/89mins
Homecoming takes place during Army Medic soldier, Estelle‘s, last month home on leave from Afghanistan. Her best friends, the goofy, but endearing, Austin and Owen, attempt to make the best of her remaining time in, hometown, Celebration, Florida.
Sun Aug 28th 10:25am Alabama Power Auditorium

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Directors: Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
DOC/USA/85mins
An incredibly succinct and powerful look at the radical environmental group, the Earth Liberation Front. By examining one cell of the ELF the documentary provides a never-before-seen glimpse behind one of the most interesting and elusive American radical movements.
Sun Aug. 28th 4:00pm Hill Event Center

The Innkeepers
Opening Night Film presented by Regions Bank
Director: Ti West
Starring Sara Paxton*, Pat Healy* and Kellie McGillis
Producer: Peter Phok*
NAR/USA/100mins
One of the most exciting and original filmmakers on the independent scene today, Ti West (The Roost, Trigger Man and The House of the Devil) directs, edits and co-produces his original screenplay about two employees of a soon-to-be-closed hotel, who get more than they bargained for when they set out to prove that the hotel is as haunted as its reputation, in The Innkeepers.  Fri Aug.26th 8:00pm Alabama Theatre

Kidnapped
Director: Miguel Angel Vivas
NAR/France/Spain/85mins
Set in Madrid, Jaime and Marta, a wealthy husband and wife move into sprawling, elegant house with their high school daughter Isa. Their first night of settling in is violently interrupted when three masked men burst into the house and begin a robbery that leads to terror and destruction.
Sat Aug. 27th 10:10pm Carver Theatre

Knocking Girls Down
(Alabama Film)
Co-directors: Michael Letcher* and Nick Rymer*
DOC/USA/50mins
The Tragic City Rollers, Birmingham Alabama’s first and only flat track roller derby team, is profiled in Mike Letcher’s documentary Knocking Girls Down. The film follows the all-female team through their second season and profiles several of Tragic City Rollers’ team members
Sat Aug. 27th 8:45pm Alabama Power Auditorium

Leaving Selma
A Film By Andrew Young
DOC/USA/90mins
The film recounts the 1965 incident referred to as Bloody Sunday. Police severely beat peaceful demonstrators as they attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge during the Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights March.
Sat Aug. 27th 10:20am Carver Theatre

Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale
Director: Danny Clinch
DOC/USA/70mins
The collaboration between the famous New Orleans-based Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the rock band My Morning Jacket from Louisville, Kentucky is profiled in this music documentary.
Sun Aug. 28th 1:10pm Carver Theatre
Preservation Hall Jazz Band will be performing on the outdoor stage in Sidewalk Central – Sat. Aug. 27th 7:00pm

Man in the Glass: The Dale Brown Story
(Alabama Film)
Director: Patrick Sheehan*
DOC/USA/82mins
Sidewalk is proud to debut local Patrick Sheehan’s documentary feature Man In The Glass: The Dale Brown Story. A human rights activist, a showman, and one of the greatest college basketball coaches in history, Dale Brown has, and continues, to live an astonishing life.
Sun Aug. 28th 3:00pm Carver Theatre

Mary Marie
Director: Alexandra Roxo*
NAR/USA/80mins
Two sisters are forced to redefine their love after a summer fling threatens to divide them forever.
Sun Aug. 28th 6:10pm Hill Event Center

Mia and the Migoo
Family Film Festival
Director: Jaques-Remy Girerd
Animated/France/Italy/91mins
Mia sets off on a journey to search for her father, Pedro, who is trapped in a job-related construction cave-in. Mia and the Migoo features strong environmental messages and themes related to the importance of family.
Sat Aug. 27th 12:15pm McWane Rushton Theatre

Missing Pieces
(Alabama Film)
Director: Kenton Bartlett*
NAR/USA/117mins
In this unconventional narrative, David, a lonely man with a broken heart (played by Sons of Anarchy’s Mark Boone Jr.), drugs and kidnaps two strangers in the hopes that they will fall in love.
Sat Aug. 27th 12:15pm Hill Event Center
Special Preview Screening

Page One: Inside the New York Times
Closing Night Film
Director: Andrew Rossi
DOC/USA/88mins
Going beyond simply serving as a competent profile of an important, changing institution, Page One: A Year Inside The New York Times uses The Times as a backdrop to unremittingly examine the current state of journalism in America.
Sun Aug. 28th 6:15pm Alabama Theatre

Prairie Love
(Alabama Film)
Director: Dusty Bias*
NAR/USA/90mins
A mysterious Vagrant patrols the deserted roads of the winter plains, living out of his car and off of the land. When he discovers a nearly-frozen local with a pen-pal girlfriend, he sees an opportunity to change his lonely existence.
Sun Aug. 28th 7:35pm Carver Theatre

Project Nim
Director: James Marsh
DOC/UK/93mins
Through the aid of archival footage (along with innovative camera and editing techniques), Academy Award winning (for Man On Wire) Director James Marsh retraces the 1970’s Project Nim. The project involved an infant chimpanzee being raised as human by the New York based LaFarge family.
Sat Aug. 27th 5:25pm Alabama Theatre

The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
Director: Chad Freidrichs
DOC/USA/79mins
The Pruitt-Igoe Myth tells the story of the transformation of the American city in the decades after World War II, through the lens of the infamous Pruitt-Igoe housing development and the St. Louis residents who called it home.
Sun Aug. 28th 10:30am RMTC Cabaret Theatre

Puppet
Director: David Soll
DOC/Canada/USA/78mins
Puppet chronicles the history of the art form of puppetry and focuses on the inception and execution of an ambitious stage production in New York City.
Sat Aug. 27th 10:30am Alabama Theatre

The Reconstruction of Asa Carter
Co-Directors & Producers: Marco Ricci* and Douglas Newman*
DOC/USA/70mins
Critics embraced the 1976 novel The Education of Little Tree as the seminal work of Native American literature. A memoir about life as a Cherokee orphan, Little Tree’s author Forrest Carter was beloved for his sensitive work. However, it turns out Carter was not Native American and Little Tree, a complete fabrication. Forrest was actually Asa Earl Carter, a KKK leader from Alabama.
Sun Aug. 28th 12:30pm Hill Event Center

The Robber
Director: Benjamin Heisenberg
NAR/Austria/Germany/97mins
A six-year prison sentence does not prevent Johann from endurance training. As soon as he is released he applies his skills to winning marathons… and robbing banks.
Sat Aug. 27th 7:45pm Alabama Theatre

Sahkanaga
Director: John Henry Summerour*
NAR/USA/80mins
A teenager in rural Georgia stumbles upon a gruesome discovery in the woods, and the fabric of his life unravels as he suffers the secret. Inspired by true events.
Sun Aug. 28th 12:30pm Alabama Power Auditorium

Senna
Director: Asif Kapadia
DOC/UK/106mins
Senna is the thrilling story of legendary Brazilian racing driver and 3-time Formula 1 World Champion Aytron Senna.
Sun Aug. 28th 3:40pm Alabama Theatre

Septien
Director: Michael Tully*
NAR/USA/80mins
A reclusive sports hustler returns home to his family farm after years of absence to reunite with his two eccentric, unhinged and emotionally damaged brothers.
Sun Aug. 28th 8:25pm Hill Event Center

Silver Tongues
Director: Simon Arthur*
NAR/USA/84mins
Silver Tongues follows a couple who use their talent for performance as part of a dark game. Driving from town to town, the two lovers don different personas to deceive and destroy the lives of the people in their path
Sun Aug. 28th 5:25pm RMTC Cabaret Theatre

Small Pond
Director: Josh Slates*
NAR/USA/76mins
Kirsten works the bare minimum number of hours possible at Shakespeare’s Pizza. Small Pond is an incredibly funny, female-led slacker indie comedy that is reminiscent of the exemplary early 90’s indie set.
Sun Aug. 28th 5:00pm Alabama Power Auditorium

SoLa: Louisiana Water Stories
Director: Jon Bowermaster
DOC/USA/60mins
SoLa: Louisiana Water Stories examines numerous issues related to Louisiana waterways including toxic waste, coastal erosion, clear cutting, petrochemical dumping and oil spills (the recent BP disaster included).
Sun Aug. 28th 10:30am Alabama Theatre Loft

Sound it Out
Director: Jeanie Finlay
DOC/UK/75mins
Sound It Out profiles the last remaining vinyl record store in Teesside, North East England. By focusing on the store’s owner, employees and customers, the documentary examines many complex issues related to the current state of the music industry, the vinyl format and the art and purpose of collecting.
Sat Aug. 27th 7:35pm Alabama Theatre Loft

Stand
(Alabama Film)
Director: T. Black*
NAR/USA/97mins
Christian rap group True City has a good thing going. They’re the hottest new group in town, they’re getting major radio play, and Monarch Records, Atlanta’s premiere label, wants to offer them a lucrative deal.
Sat Aug. 27th 10:15am Alabama Power Auditorium

The Tents
Director: James Belzer
DOC/USA/80mins
The Tents is an inside look at the onset and transformation of New York City’s fashion week and at the origins of New York’s current standing in the world of fashion.
Sat Aug. 27th 2:10pm Alabama Power Auditorium

Treatment
Co-Directors: Sean Nelson* and Steven Schardt
NAR/USA/84mins
Slacker aesthete Leonard is better at making excuses than making art. All his life, he has dreamed of beging a famous filmmaker. A change encounter with a wasted A-list movie star could be his lucky break.
Sat Aug. 27th 6:35pm Alabama Power Auditorium

Unlikely Treasures
Director: Tally Abecassiss
DOC/Canada/52mins
Unlikely Treasures provides an inside glimpse into the world of numerous compulsive collectors. Massive agglomerations of copper molds, ceramic E.T.s, staplers, cake ornaments and much more fill the film.
Sat Aug. 27th 12:40pm Alabama Power Auditorium

Vacation!
Director: Zach Clark*
NAR/USA/90mins
An existential beach party movie about life, death, sex, drugs and other s**t that totally fucks you up.
Sat Aug. 27th 4:55pm RMTC Cabaret Theatre

Where Soldiers Come From
Director: Heather Courtney*
DOC/USA/90mins
Lured by bonuses and delayed deployment, Michiganders Dominic and Cole, fresh out of high school, sign up for the National Guard. Friends follow their lead. Two years later they are off to Afghanistan.
Sun Aug. 28th 1:15pm Alabama Theatre

Without
Director: Mark Jackson*
NAR/USA/88mins
On isolated Whidbey Island Joslyn has taken a month long job as a house sitter and caretaker for, Frank, an elderly man in a catatonic state.
Sat Aug. 27th 2:40pm Alabama Theatre Loft

The Wonder Year
Director: Kenneth Price
DOC/USA/79mins
The Wonder Year follows hip hop producer 9th Wonder for an entire year, where he retraces his footsteps and tells his story.
Sat Aug. 27th 10:15pm Alabama Power Auditorium

Wuss
Director: Clay Liford
NAR/USA/96mins
A high school teacher is severely beaten by hi s own students, Too embarrassed to inform the authorities, he plots his own revenge.
Sun Aug. 28th 7:15pm Alabama Power Auditorium

You’ve Been Trumped
Director: Anthony Baxter*
DOC/UK/95mins
American Billionaire Donald Trump has chosen one of Britain’s last remaining wilderness areas, an extremely environmentally sensitive stretch of coastland, for his next golf resort project. You’ve Been Trumped portrays the amazing fight between residents of the northeast coast of Scotland and the tyrannical American billionaire.
Sat Aug. 27th 5:00pm Hill Event Center

Short Films
Listed by screening blocks:

National Shorts Block 1
Saturday, August 27th – 2:50pm Red Mountain Theatre Company Cabaret Theatre

The Strange Ones
Directors: Lauren Wolkstein and Christopher Radcliff
NAR/USA/15mins
A man and a boy, traveling to an unknown destination, find respite in a motel swimming pool. On the surface all seems normal, but nothing is quite what it seems to be.

Intercambios
Director: Brian Aramayo
NAR/USA/13mins
An immigrant woman’s hard-earned savings disappear during a normal bank transaction, causing her belief in the American dream to be changed forever.

Pioneer
Director: David Lowery
NAR/USA/17mins
A father tells his little boy the most epic bedtime story ever.

Revolution
Director: Abdi Nazemian
NAR/USA/15mins
This film is a coming-of-age story of Jack, a 16-year-old Iranian boy growing up in Los Angeles.

Two-Legged Rat Bastards
Director: Scott Weintrob
USA/NAR/14mins
Eddie, a cantankerous old alcoholic, attempts to connect with his son Winstead, who’s spent the majority of his adult life trying to get away from him.

Sexting
Director: Tim Harms*
NAR/USA/8mins
People are not who they seem when a misdirected text message leads a young woman to meet with the wife of her boyfriend and ask what is really going on in their relationship.

National Shorts Block 2
Saturday August 27th – 4:50pm Alabama Theatre Loft

The United Monster Talent Agency
Director: Greg Nicotero
NAR/USA/8mins
You’re likely already familiar with the classic monster films of Hollywood’s golden age. Now, learn how tough it was to get those monsters to behave on camera!

We’re Leaving
Director: Zachary Treitz
NAR/USA/12mins
Rusty and his wife Veronica have to find a new place to live with their teenage alligator Chopper

Bathing and the Single Girl
Director: Christine Elisa McCarthy*
NAR/USA/10mins
A raw & irreverent comedic look at the unspoken horrors of dating – and bathing with – younger men.

Beta to the Max
Director: Chris Sheridan*
NAR/USA/18mins
It’s 1982 and Jerry is the world’s top Beta machine salesman. But his kingsize ego and dominant standing are about to take a tumble when a Japanese salesman arrives at an annual convention to introduce something to the world called ‘VHS’.

Between the Wish and the Thing
Director: Jesse Belodoff
NAR/USA/19mins
Ben, a reclusive writer, and his best friend, Phil, head out of town to begin new lives on the west coast.

All Flowers in Time
Director: Jonathan Caouette
14mins/USA/NAR
A guided tour through the shattered remains of memory and identity.

Pillow
Director: Joshua Miller* and Miles B. Miller*
NAR/USA/19mins
A Southern Gothic tale of two brothers who go to desperate measures to please their overbearing mother.

Cores e Botas
Director: Carla Comino
NAR/USA/16mins
Joana has the same dream as all young Brazilian girls in the 80s: she wants to be a Paquita, a dancer on Xuxa’s TV show. Her family is wealthy, and will support her. However, there is a problem; she is black and Xuxa never had a black Paquita on her team.

National Shorts 3
Sunday August 28th – 10:30am – Alabama Theatre

Get With The Program
Directors: Jennifer Drummond and Mark Deutrom
Animated Short/USA/4mins
The complacent inhabitants of this near-future society devise ways to adapt to the constant demands of the techno dystopia they have created.

Black Box
Director: Monica Garrison
Animated /USA/5mins
Is an adaptation of a short story by Joyce Carol Oates, it is an untitled work in “Collector of Hearts: New Tales of the Grotesque”.

Missile Crisis
Director: Jaye Sarah Davidson
NAR/USA/15mins
When the Cuban Missile Crisis threatens to incinerate America, divorce looms over the Shaw family.

Midtown Twist
Director: Gary Leib
Animated Short/USA/1min
An animated story of Midtown Manhattan

A Love Supreme
Director: Evan Houston
NAR/USA/9mins
Saul is hopeful to meet his daughter for the first time, but soon learns the truth: she is unaware of his existence.

Heliotropes
Director: Michael Langan
Animated Short/USA/3mins
Heliotropes documents the parallel goals of man and nature, through the most primitive and sophisticated means, to simply stay in the light. Based on the poem by Brian Christian.

Blunderkind
Director: Zak Mechanic*
NAR/USA/20mins
In 1988,12-year-old boy genius Henry Jameson gives up on science after losing his best friend, George, somewhere in time. 20 years later, Henry has become a degenerate alcoholic when George, still 12, arrives needing Henry to get it together and send him back to the 80’s.

Someone Should Be Happy Here
Director: April Caskie
NAR/USA/6mins
Part I of THE AMERICAN DREAM SERIES Henry David Thoreau’s text narrates an image from the 2001 film The Weather Man. Re-imagining what success means today.

The Visions of Dylan Bradley
Director: Christine Vartoughian*, Producer Tobias Beidermuhle*
NAR/USA/17mins
As a result of a quirky childhood accident, sixteen-year-old Dylan Bradley doesn’t always see things ‘eye to eye’ until a sweet Christian boy steals her heart and tempts Dylan with the one thing he won’t give her: sex.

Bike Race
Director: Tom Schroeder
Animated/USA/12mins
Two friends decide to stage a bicycle race to determine who is the best racer of all time, Eddy Merckx or Lance Armstrong.

First Sunrise
Director: Kenneth Price
NAR/USA/11mins
An American teaching in Japan finds acceptance through a journey to witness the first sunrise of year.

Guard Dog Global Jam
Director: Bill Plympton
Animated/USA/5mins
75 artists from different countries came together to make Bill Plympton’s Guard Dog Global Jam a reality. The result is an unique collection of styles that flow together to re-tell the story of the over-protective Guard Dog as he tries to guide his owner to safety on their walk outside.

Weather Report
Director: Olivia Taussig
Animated/USA/4mins
Nine news headlines from the past year have been archived and re-articulated summoning apocalyptic undercurrents. Headlines become ironic expositions, highlighting catastrophic and fantastical variables channeling  present fears, and illuminating animals at play.

Without Wings
Director: Jo Meuris
4mins/Canada/Animated
This film is a celebration of the human body in motion.

National/Local Shorts Block 4 – Docs
Sunday Aug. 28th 2:25pm – Hill Event Center

The Dancer
Director: Seth Stark
Doc/USA/12mins
Shot on location in a remote village in India, The Dancer shows life through the eyes of an 11-year-old orphan boy, Satish Kumar, a non-actor portraying himself and giving us unrestricted access into his world.

Kingdom Come Stir Off
Director: Natalie Baxter
DOC/USA/4mins
Kingdom Come Stir Off is a short piece about the molasses making process from cane to kettle. Told from cane patch owner, Komos Ison, who has lived alongside Kingdom Come Creek in Eastern Kentucky his entire 85 years.

The Desired Effect
(Alabama Film)
Director: Grayson Hunter*
DOC/USA/12mins
“In “The Desired Effect”, audiences get an inside look at the current state of affairs in the world of Special Effects, and find out if there are some things that just cannot be fixed in post…

Satan Since 2003
Director: Carlos Puga
DOC/USA/18mins
Richmond, VA becomes a battleground for moped gangs.

Walla Walla Wiffle
Director: Robert Sickels
DOC/USA/8mins
Walla Walla Wiffle. Where men are boys.

An Inconvenient Youth
Directed by Slater Jewell-Kemker*
DOC/Canada/14mins
After the heartbreaking failure of the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen in 2009, an embittered young environmentalist attends the 2010 conference in Cancun. 

You Must Be Something
(Alabama Film)
Directed by Linn Groft
DOC/USA/13mins
You Must Be Something journeys with Sunny Ntayombya as he grapples with his identity growing up as a refugee and returning to Rwanda after the 1994 genocide.

Standardized
(Alabama Film)
Directors: Hallie Paul*, Drew Hoover*, and Sarah Massey*
10mins/USA/DOC
Standardized examines educational disparities through the parallel experiences of two Birmingham public high school students struggling to raise their  ACT scores in schools separated by only 10 miles

Local Shorts 1 – All Alabama Filmmakers
Saturday Aug. 27th – 5:15pm – Carver Theatre

Time Calls
Director: Nancy Stricklin*
NAR/USA/19mins
Time Calls is an emotionally charged film about finding the answers to life’s questions.

Distance
Director: Kyle Roberts*
NAR/USA/9mins
Rhys and Bridget have had a happy life together. When Bridget decides she wants to get out of the country to live her life, Rhys uses fond memories and the beauty of the city to plead with her to stay.

The Big Empty
Director: Billy Ray Brewton*
NAR/USA/11mins
A young man and his father struggle through their strained relationship after running out of gas.

Kristin Grace from Outer Space
Director: Jay Burleson*
NAR/USA/3mins
A phone call between the father of strange teenage girl and her school counselor.

The Green Seed “Crack Kills”
Director: Sugartooth
Music Video/USA/5mins
Music Video from The Green Seed

I Am
Director: Carey Rayburn*
NAR/USA/9mins
A man is slowly driven insane as everything around him begins to change.

Cardboard Titanics
Director: Sam Frazier, Jr.*
NAR/USA/9mins
Artists build, row, and race boats made solely of cardboard and duck tape in an insane effort to recapture the American dream.

Without You
Director: Mark Clement*
NAR/USA/30mins
Married couple in their 30s, marriage in trouble. Deep hurts have been revealed and we journey with them through the process of coming to terms with their situation. To stay, to leave, to fight, to give up. This very raw and real look at married life is extremely familiar to almost anyone who’s been married for a few years.

Local Shorts 2 – All Alabama Filmmakers
Saturday Aug. 27th – 7:20pm – Hill Event Center

Re-Committed
Director: Marcus Tortorici*
NAR/USA/22mins
Jamal Anderson is a delusional teenager. His intensely whimsical daydreams often intrude on reality, disrupting his everyday life. His psychiatrist has decided that the best treatment is to re-enroll Jamal in a local high school, but Jamal has to learn to adjust to his new surroundings. With the help of his best (imaginary) friend Bo, Jamal navigates the tricky new world around him.

Yeah!
Director: Billy Ray Brewton*
NAR/USA/11mins
Three friends contemplate their existence while waiting on the sunset.

Light it Up
Director: Demetrius Newton, Jr.*
NAR/USA/5mins
Brian Todd up in “Light It Up”

Wind Session Tiger Woman
Director: Paavo Hanninen*
NAR/USA/11mins
Wind Session Tiger Woman is the story of a young man who is alone in a new city. The only person he meets is the lonely woman who lives downstairs from him. They share a surprising connection.

Lack of Will
Director: Brock Hanson*
NAR/USA/6mins
Will does not care about much; some might even claim that Will doesn’t care about anything at all. Wandering through his monotonous life, every day consists of the same routine. Will is a shell of human existence. Until one day, when it all changes.

A Changed Man
Director: Clint Till*
NAR/USA/6mins
You can’t put the past behind you, when your past is always in front of you.

Pull ‘Em
Director: Demetrius Newton, Jr.*
NAR/USA/5mins
Having trouble pulling that certain someone? Try Pull ‘Em!

After the Torment
Director: Adam Boyer and Gerald Keyzer, Producer: Jason O’Brien*
NAR/USA/16mins
How many chances do you get to find true love?

Hitched! The Musical
Director: Patrick Edwards*
NAR/USA/10mins
It is a comedic ode to the Master of Suspense, and is the story of a newlywed couple setting out on their honeymoon to the Bon Voyage Bed & Breakfast.

Annie and Her Anger
Director: Tam Le*
NAR/USA/15mins
Annie is twenty-something. She has anger issues. She has a hard time being around people. But with a new guy in her life, she must find a way to change or lose her chance for love.

Sandman
Director: Chirs Hilleke*
NAR/USA/6mins
The Sandman’s magical powers persuade a young, sleeping princess to sing her transformative song to his waking body while it enjoys a glass of orange juice

Genericide
Director: Josh Veazey*
NAR/USA/14mins
A scientist conducts a psychology experiment on a young child in an abandoned mall.

Local Shorts 3 – All Alabama Filmmakers
Sunday Aug. 28th 10:20am – Carver Theatre

The Chief
Directors: Christopher Scott* and Mary Baschab*
DOC/USA/10mins
Roy Moore, former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice, reflects on politics, his  
legacy and his polarizing career. 

Take A Walk In My Shoes
VSA Arts of Alabama – produced by Allison DeCamillis* Executive Producer Patty Lovoy*
DOC/USA/8mins
The film was made for VSA Alabama to accompany a traveling exhibit of art created in a collaboration of older adults in day care facilities for Alzheimer’s or dementia, and high school senior art students. 

A GASP for Clean Air
Director: Hunter Nichols*
DOC/USA/24mins
A look at the shocking past and present air pollution surrounding Birmingham, Alabama and a group of students and young adults determined to clean it up.

Birmingham Civil Rights: Moving From Birmingham’s Past
Director: David Smith*
DOC/USA/10mins
This is a short documentary that examines Birmingham Alabama’s turbulent past and where it should focus for the future.

Holy Plow
Director: Adam Carboni*
DOC/USA/8mins
Holy Plow examines a group of experienced farmers who still celebrate the historical art of draft plowing with horses and mules instead of tractors.

The Shoe Factory
Director: Carey Rayburn*
DOC/USA/15mins
Birmingham Alabama has 100’s of skateboarders but nowhere for them to skate so they united and built their own skate park on a concrete slab that was once an old shoe factory.

Day to Day
Director: Chris Izor* and Walker Donaldson*
DOC/USA/10mins
In Greensboro, Ala., nonprofit organizations attract young people from across the country to work in the community. Once they arrive, they learn the realities and  challenges of rural life.

Nukespeak
Director: Dan Bagwell*
DOC/USA/10mins
Nukespeak is the inspirational story of the Samford University Debate team as they journey to Nationals and compete against the top schools in the country for a spot in the elimination rounds; a feat Samford has not accomplished in over 25 years.

Local/National Shorts 4
Sunday Aug. 28th 2:25pm Hill Event Center

Catfish
Directors: Joe Parmer* and Jonathan Cobb*
DOC/USA/10mins
The U.S. farm raised catfish industry has blossomed from its humble beginnings
in west Alabama, but now the multimillion-dollar industry is in danger of collapse.

Mr. Happy Man
Director: Matt Morris
DOC/USA/11mins
For the last three decades, Bermuda’s most beloved resident, Johnny Barnes, has dedicated his life to making the world a happier place in his own unique way.

The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
Director: Robin Fryday
DOC/USA/26mins
The film features 85-year-old Mr. Armstrong, an African American barber in Birmingham, Alabama, as he experiences the manifestation of an unimaginable dream: the election of the first African American president. 

UAB Digital City Shorts
Saturday Aug. 28th 10:30am Alabama Theatre Loft

Birmingham: You Are Beautiful
Directors: Brooke Benson* and Danielle Rand*
DOC/USA/10mins
The Birmingham community responds to an urban art movement.

Los Obreros: A Portrait of Three Immigrants in Birmingham
Directors: Inocencio Chavez* and Lacey Kennedy*
DOC/USA/10mins
This film examines the challenges facing Latino immigrant workers in Birmingham. 

Sweet home AL-abama
Directors: Grace Benton* and Katy Tetzlaff*
DOC/USA/10mins
A portrait of the immigrant community working in the kitchen at Al’s Restaurant

Nihon Jin (The Japanese People)
Directors: Alexandra Jo Hancock* and Christian Sutton*
DOC/USA/10mins 
The Japanese families of the men working at the Honda Plant in Lincoln, AL, strive to maintain their culture and connection to their homeland.

Breaking Chains: The Story of the Woodlawn Mural
Directors: Patrick Edwards* and Craig Wooten*
DOC/USA/10mins 
Community members discuss the importance of public art while sharing the story of a historic WPA mural that is currently being saved.

Limitless
Directors: Nicholas Price* and Alisa Trinh*
DOC/USA/10mins 
A portrait of a small community of teens who taught themselves how to do parkour, a practice that encourages a gymnastic relationship to the built environment.

Turning Pointe
Directors: Duy Tran* and Hannah Hughes*
DOC/USA/10mins
The dancers of the Alabama Ballet train and sacrifice to perform professionally in Birmingham.

Underneath, We’re All Grey
Directors: Rebecca Kennerly* and Stephanie Harrison*
DOC/USA/10mins
 Whether you are for or against greyhound racing, it all comes down to finding loving families for the retired racers, and the McGregor Greyhound Welfare Center is doing just that and more.

Divided Highway
Directors: Brendan Rice* and Chris Humphries*
DOC/USA/10mins
An investigation into the U.S. 280 traffic issues that are posing conflicts between increased urban sprawl and advocates of public transportation. 

Shorts screening with Features

Father Clown
Alabama Film
Director: Chris Hilleke*
DOC/USA/11mins
Set in Melbourne, Australia this documentary moves from exhibition to repression and back via the thoughts of a street performing hobo clown with three children who contemplates his father’s demented influence on his lifestyle choice.
Screens with Puppet – Sat Aug. 27th 10:30am – Alabama Theatre

Sasquatch Birth Journal 2
Director: David Zeller
NAR/USA/4mins
An unprecedented peek at the mysteries of nature.
Screens with The Catechism Cataclysm – Sat Aug. 27th 10:05pm – Alabama Theatre

Madame Perrault’s Bluebeard
Director: A.J. Bond
NAR/USA/6mins
A fantasy re-envisioning of the classic fairytale “Bluebeard” by Charles Perrault, in which Perrault’s young wife reads herself into his dark allegory on marital mistrust.
Screens with The Catechism Cataclysm – Sat Aug. 27th 10:05pm – Alabama Theatre

Down to the Bone
Director: Peter Ahern
NAR/USA/4mins
For a kid who has allergies, going outside can be hazardous.
Screens with Dragonslayer – Sat Aug. 27th – 3:20pm – Alabama Theatre

The Dumpster
Director: Patrick Campbell*
NAR/USA/4mins
There are few things more tempting in life than the lure of an empty dumpster in your neighbor’s driveway. But when that neighbor is a jerk, things can get a bit tricky.
Screens with A Bag of Hammers – Sat Aug. 27th 12:45pm – Carver Theatre

La Marcha
Alabama Film
Directors: Will Tucker* and Kelsey Stein*
DOC/USA/10mins
As an unprecedented anti-immigration bill makes its way through the Alabama legislature, two Latino activists reflect on what it means to their lives and the state’s future.
Screens with Leaving Selma – Sat Aug. 27th 10:20am – Carver Theatre

Land of Oz
Alabama Film
Director: Johnny Hanna*
DOC/USA/22mins
Oz Music is the only record store in the Tuscaloosa area. It is a store that holds portion of the community together, hosts live shows, and has an expansive vinyl collection
Screens with Sound It Out – Sat Aug. 27th 7:35pm – Alabama Theatre Loft

I F**k With My Voice: It’s a Cartoon
Director: Evan Rothman
DOC/USA/15mins
Two young individuals, a particular perverse porn trade, vacuums, and a touch of bluegrass.
Screens with Autoerotic – Sat Aug. 27th 10:00pm – Alabama Theatre Loft

Prayers For Peace
Director: Dustin Grella
Animated/USA/8mins
Pastels on a slate chalkboard underscore life’s impermanence as the artist confronts the memory of his younger brother killed in Iraq.
Screens with Where Soldiers Come From – Sun Aug. 28th – 1:15pm – Alabama Theatre

Our Time Together
Director: David R. Lipson
NAR/USA/14mins
You’re only as alone as you want to be.
Screens with The Dish and the Spoon – Sun Aug. 28th 12:35pm RMTC Cabaret Theatre

Rosa
Alabama Film
Directors: Jonathan Reed* and Hillary Moore*
DOC/USA/10mins
The mines of Rosa, Ala., have been quiet for more than two decades. How do residents react when a coal company announces it’s opening its doors in the  heart of the community? 
Screens with SoLa: Louisiana Water Stories – Sun Aug. 28th 10:30am – Alabama Theatre Loft

Sidewalk Spring Scramble Winner –Meme
Alabama Film
Director: Adam Schwartz* & Bolt Action Sleeper Ray*
NAR/USA/5mins
Screens with Mary Marie – Sun Aug 28th – 6:10pm – Hill Event Center

Terrebonne
Director: Jeremy Craig*
NAR/USA/15mins
Set on the imperiled coast of Louisiana, Terrebonne is the meditative story of a brother and sister who encounter unexpected trouble when they venture deep into the swamp in search of the mythic ivory-billed woodpecker.
Screens with Sahkanaga – Sun Aug. 28th – 12:30pm – Alabama Power Auditorium

After School Special
Director: Jacob Chase
NAR/USA/9mins
A man and a woman have an awkward encounter at an indoor playground in this Neil LaBute penned slice-of-life starring Sarah Paulson and Wes Bentley.
Screens with Small Pond – Sun Aug. 28th – 5:00pm – Alabama Power Auditorium

The Interview
Director: Michelle Steffes
NAR/USA/12mins
The last man on Earth tries to get a job from the second-to-last man on Earth.
Screens with Wuss – Sun Aug. 28th – 7:15pm – Alabama Power Auditorium

The Vortex
Director: Zachary Johnson
NAR/USA/5mins
A lonely man yearning to travel and in need of money digs beneath a coin vortex for change but instead finds a creature who is just as lonely as he is.
Screens with The Goonies – Outdoor Screen at Sidewalk Central – 8:45pm

The Family Film Festival Shorts
The Gruffalo and Friends Kids Shorts Block
Sat, Aug. 27th 10:30am McWane Center, Rushton Theatre

Karl Dahl and the Golden Cube
Director: Chris Olsen*
Animated/USA/13mins
Twin vaudevillian nutcrackers (Karl and Vincent Dahl) inadvertently foil a major Museum Gold Heist in this epic animated comedy adventure!

Midtown Twist
Director: Gary Leib
Animated/USA/1min
An animated story of Midtown Manhattan

Hola Gorilla
Alabama Film
Director: Walter Moore*
Animated/USA/2mins
An animated Gorilla speaks Spanish!

The Gruffalo
Directors: Max Lang and Jakob Schuh
Animated/USA/27mins
Based on the bestselling book, A cunning mouse goes for a walk in the forest and outwits a succession of predators.

Neighborhood Watch
Director: Zack Booth
Animated/USA/3mins
With an unlimited supply of chalk, this short film explores various interpretations of the phrase “neighborhood watch”

Coonpipes
Director: Madeleine Mathis
Animated/USA/2mins
A stop motion short in which a junkyard dog chases a thieving raccoon through the forest, only to discover something he did not expect.

For the Bigger Kids, Kids Shorts Block
Saturday, August 27th 2:30pm

Regular Kids
Director: Rich Leder
NAR/USA/12mins
Children of circus performer’s don’t get to trick-or-treat on Halloween like regular kids.

Chicken Cowboy
Director: Stephen P. Neary
Animated/USA/7mins
A chicken cowboy rides into town.

Lunch
Director: Irina Golina-Sagatelian
Animated/Israel/2mins
Vlad wants to eat his lunch alone but someone drops a small cat near his door.

Report Card Day
Alabama Film
Director: David Kilgo*
Animated/USA/1min
Father checks his kid’s report cards. Let’s hope they’re good.

Sebastian’s Adventure
Director: Nat Motulsky (Teen Filmmaker)
NAR/USA/2mins
Imagine escaping…

The Director
Director: Destri Martino
Animated/USA/1min
One director attempts to make a statement.

Bait
Director: Michael Moore
Animated/USA/10mins
A group of worms wake up one morning to find themselves trapped in a young boy’s bait bucket.

Joe the Clay Guy and the Crystal Sword
Director: Jeff Novaez
Animated/USA/3mins
Joe is out on his motorcycle in search of the cave that houses the legendary Crystal Sword

See
Directors: Molly Cinnamon and Miranda Kasher (Teen Filmmakers)
NAR/USA/2mins
A child gathering seashells at the seashore discovers that under the surface things are not as they should be.

Ffrizelda
Alabama Film
Director Kate McMath* (Teen Filmmaker)
Animated/USA/8mins
This film tells the silly story of a girl who has a great heart and lives in a village where everyone is blind.

Without Wings
Director: Jo Meuris
Animated/Canada/4mins
A celebration of the human body in motion.

Young Filmmaker Showcase
Sun. Aug. 28th 2:10pm McWane Rushton Theatre

April
Director: Mike Piccirillo (not a teen filmmaker – subject is a teenager)
DOC/USA/22mins
This is a revealing year-in-the-life documentary that follows April Poplewski’s (high school student) experiences.

Tadaa!
Directors: Nora Kroopf and Jamie Feiler (teen filmmakers)
DOC/USA/6mins
This film profiles a teen-created summer program in which teens and developmentally challenged adults come together and break stereotypes about each other.

The Pickle Guys
Directors: Michael Mittelstaedt, Producers Randy Siegel* and Richie Siegel* (teen filmmakers)
DOC/USA/9mins
A look at one of the last pickle shops remaining on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Alone
Director: Ethan Seneker (teen filmmaker)
NAR/USA/8mins
Home is the safest place, unless, you’re alone.

Blank Canvas
Director: Hannah Sullivan (teen filmmaker)
NAR/USA/4mins
A blank canvas: ready to be painted.

See
Directors: Molly Cinnamon and Miranda Kasher (teen Filmmakers)
NAR/USA/2mins
A child gathering seashells at the seashore discovers that under the surface things are not as they should be.

Your Hand In Mine
Directors: Jia Yi Gan (teen filmmaker)
NAR/Singapore/2mins
An expression of young love – a simple, innocent thing.

Suffocation
Director: Nick Lieberman (teen filmmaker)
NAR/USA/2mins
High school can be an intolerant place as one young man finds out.

For Anne
Director: Clinton Williams (teen filmmaker)
NAR/USA/2mins
A love letter of sorts from Clinton, to his mother, Anne.

Forty-Two
Director: Rayna Nunez and Casey Cann (teen filmmakers)
DOC/USA/5mins
Casey and Rayna delve into the minds of four artists in an attempt to understand their creativity.

The Forest
Director: Rachel Clyde (teen filmmaker)
NAR/USA/3mins
An innocent game of hide and seek ends with some rude discoveries

Mother & Son
Director: Ethan Schaier (teen filmmaker)
DOC/USA/3mins
Ethan’s grandmother reflects on her life, and what it means to be a mother of a son with Down Syndrome.

The Math Test
Director: Sam Rubin (teen filmmaker)
NAR/USA/5mins
Our hero struggles with his test anxiety as well as a very active imagination.

Sidewalk and g8four Summer Film Camp*
Student Film, Made by the students of the Summer Film Camp
10mins/USA