We’re delighted to exclusively announce the lineup for the 28th annual Sidewalk Film Festival, taking place in Birmingham, Alabama, from August 24-30. Set to open with John Wilson’s feature debut The History of Concrete and close with Kenya-Jade Pinto’s The Sandbox, the lineup also features Tamra Davis’ The Best Summer, Maya Annik Bedward’s Black Zombie, Nico Lopez-Alegría and ZZ’s Earth to Michael, Rustin Thompson’s The Last Picture Shows, Andrew H. Brown and Bea Wangondu’s Kikuyu Land, Rob Rice’s Ponderosa, a 100th-anniversary screening of Buster Keaton’s The General with a live score, and much more.
This year, Spotlight attractions occur during the week (including an Animation Masterclass by the legendary Bill Plympton), leading up to a weekend filled with film premieres, encores, and parties. Eleven walkable venues will connect the 15,000 attendees and filmmakers to more than 250 screenings, panels, and special events happening throughout Downtown Birmingham’s Historic Theatre District.
You can get tickets here and view the lineup below.
The History of Concrete (Opening Night Film)
Directed by: John Wilson | Country: USA
The hilarious directorial debut from John Wilson follows our eponymous hero on a journey through a Hallmark writing class, to filming New York potholes, to visiting the oldest street in America on a mission to know more about concrete. From Vimeo Staff Picks to HBO’s How To with John Wilson, we now find John documenting mysterious characters and urban locations (as only he can) to help us uncover more clues to one of life’s great mysteries.
A Mess of Memories
Directed by: Ebony Blanding | Country: USA
Siblings who’ve drifted apart are brought together in an effort to prevent the eviction of their mother from their family home due to her obsessive hoarding. As they deal with the physical mess, they are forced to confront their own issues on a journey of reconciliation and healing.
A Woman’s Work
Directed by: A.R. Ephraim | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
A remarkable story of an Appalachian community. A Woman’s Work shares the natural beauty of the region while focusing on the hard-working people and their daily struggles. A stirring portrayal of a female coal miner working to support her sisters while dreaming of a life with her secret girlfriend. This film truly makes you feel for these characters and the beauty and sadness of their daily lives.
Adam’s Apple
Directed by: Amy Jenkins | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
A transgender teen and his family document the two-decade transitioning process with care and honesty. A counterpoint to the hostility often shown towards those in transition, this film shows the family and the thoughtful way they communicate their needs and their love of one another.
Admission Possible
Directed by: Bowie Alexander and Matthew Syrett | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
Tender, urgent, and hopeful, Admission Possible follows seven New York City high school seniors applying to college as first generation students. Guided by their determined and caring college admissions counselor, they grapple with the complex cultural, social, and political factors influencing higher education today. Debates over testing, legacies, and family loyalty muddy the waters of their decisions.
All Rivers Spill Their Stories to the Sea
Directed by: Jeanie Finlay | Country: UK | Premiere: US Premiere
For centuries, Stan Rennie’s family has worked the same stretch of coastline in northeast England. When a tide of poisoned crabs and lobsters washes up like a biblical plague, all signs point to an industrial development along the River Tees that empties into the once-teeming waters. Stan becomes a reluctant spokesman for his community, with a cool head and a heart of rage.
Amazing Live Sea Monkeys
Directed by: Aaron Schock and Mark Becker | Country: USA
In a David-and-Goliath fight over one of the world’s most recognizable toys, the widow of the Sea-Monkeys creator battles for control of her husband’s legacy. What starts as a quarrel over quality control uncovers an unexpected history and the troubling affiliations buried beneath the packet of instant pets.
The Ark
Directed by: Viacheslav Rakovskyi and Jeremy Chilnick | Country: USA
A film that shows love and kindness in action for animals displaced by the Ukrainian War with Russia. It starts with one soldier heading to war asking his friends to take in his 37 goats. They do and their home quickly becomes a refuge for hundreds of animals in need. Their home opens up to include cows, sheep, pigs, peacocks, even a crocodile and a sweet donkey.
As Goes the South
Directed by: Brian “B+” Cross and Eric Coleman | Country: USA
As a means to reframe outdated half-truths, this vibrant narrative illustrates a new chapter of Birmingham’s legacy. This story aims to linger beyond our stained reputation by highlighting the people and places that embody the essence of what makes this city “Magic.”
The Best Summer
Directed by: Tamra Davis | Country: USA
Evacuating the 2025 California wildfires, director Tamra Davis unearthed long-lost tapes from 1995, featuring concert footage and backstage interviews she had shot of the Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, Bikini Kill, and many others. This time capsule offers a rare glimpse of bands on the edge of fame.
Beyond The Vote
Directed by: Marshall “P” Pollard | Country: USA | Premiere: World Premiere
A story about what freedom could look like–beyond the vote: 145 relational organizers mobilize millions of Black voters in Eastern North Carolina, reclaiming “woke” as a call to action to build lasting community power.
Birmingham’s Front Lawn
Directed by: Michele Forman | Country: USA
Birmingham’s Front Lawn explores the creation of Railroad Park in the heart of Downtown Birmingham. Watch as the park, which has become an integral part of life downtown, transforms from unassuming acreage to a lush urban green space and hear from the park’s champions who turned their dream into a reality in order to uplift Birmingham.
The Birds Tell Me All There is to Know
Directed by: Aidan Cronin | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
An older man with dementia befriends a grieving young woman as their lives intersect in unexpected ways. While both are overwhelmed with relationships past and present, their lives in upstate New York reflect each others’ struggles with loss, ennui, and acceptance. Through the hypnotic visual texture found in Video8 footage and starring members of his own family, this ambient meditation on life and its universal anxieties sees director Aidan Cronin arriving at his debut feature with an original filmmaking language all his own.
Black Zombie
Directed by: Maya Annik Bedward | Country: Canada/USA
One of cinema’s greatest subgenres also has one of its most complex histories: the origin of the Zombie. Through the lens of cinema history, this doc chronicles the advent of the horror trope from spiritual Haitian Vodou rituals through the evolution of contemporary Hollywood horror. The film dispels rumors and attaches significance to the entity of the walking dead.
Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu
Directed by: Michael LaHaie | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
“Hey everybody, it’s Bob and David!” From Mr. Show to movie and TV stardom, witness two legendary comedians risk their lives, careers, and friendship to hike one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Will they survive? Will they achieve clarity? Will they argue over bedding? Yonder lies adventure!
The Bulldogs
Directed by: Noah Dixon and Ori Segev | Country: USA
After being forced to evacuate after a train carrying carcinogenic chemicals derails in the small community of East Palestine, Ohio, community members return to their homes with lingering doubts and questions about what their already struggling community will be like.
Clovers
Directed by: Jacob Hatley and Tom Vickers | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
Glimpse into the lives of several regulars of Clovers, a strip-mall casino in Asheboro, North Carolina. The film follows a community grappling with their material conditions and the hope for a better future. With an incredibly honest portrayal of its subjects, the film presents a judgment-free, nuanced exploration of family, community, and the enduring pursuit of an ever-unreachable American Dream.
Clutch Gang
Directed by: Daniel Jarvis and John Kassab | Country: Australia, USA | Premiere: World Premiere
The film follows Compton’s Clutch Gang mini-bike club after the death of their beloved leader in an illegal street race. Left fractured and grieving, the group’s unlikely hope rests with the club’s homeless black sheep, who must step forward if they are to stay together and compete in the GTS — the biggest mini-bike tournament of the year.
Cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood
Directed by: Yukimitsu Ina | Country: Japan
The debut feature from Yukimitsu Ina, Cocoon combines the gracefulness of Miyazaki animation with the emotional impact of Grave of the Fireflies. War rages in Japan, and even children can’t escape it. When friends San and Mayu are forced into a war zone, their loyalties to one another are tested.
Crime & Parody
Directed by: Will Thwaites | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
When an Ohio man builds a fake Facebook profile mocking his local police department, the joke lands him in real legal trouble, escalating to the Supreme Court. To his rescue comes The Onion, a group familiar with parody, resulting in a legal brief so ridiculous that it became a legend.
Demonwarp
Directed by: Emmett Alston | Country: USA
TVs of Terror RETURNS to Sidewalk Film Festival with a wild lost video store artifact – DEMONWARP! A group of teens embark on what’s supposed to be a cozy woodland retreat, but after being warned off by an unsettling local, they’re besieged by a bloodthirsty Sasquatch. And it only gets weirder from there! Buckle up for the ride of the summer (of 1988) as Sidewalk and TVs of Terror join forces for a truly nutty night at the movies!
Don’t Come Upstairs
Directed by: Mike Lobel | Country: Canada | Premiere: US Premiere
Mike Lobel of Degrassi: The Next Generation fame makes his directorial debut with this true crime tale about his own family. Lobel sets out to uncover the truth about his father that his parents kept hidden for 35 years. During his entire childhood, Lobel’s family had two major rules: Don’t ask what Dad does for a living and never go upstairs when he’s working.
Earth to Michael
Directed by: Nico Lopez-Alegría and ZZ | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
For those who couldn’t get enough of the successful Artemis II mission, comes a space documentary unlike any other. Director Nico Lopez-Algeria invites us along on a deeply personal journey and a look behind the curtain of what families of career astronauts experience when their loved ones dedicate their lives to space exploration.
Echoes of the Forks of Cypress
Directed by: Frederick DeShon Murphy | Country: USA
Film director, Sidewalk alum and mental health therapist Frederick DeShon Murphy brings together families of both the enslavers and enslaved connected to the Forks of Cypress plantation in Florence, AL, to share their deeply personal histories and to create an opportunity for community and reconciliation.
Fork in the Road
Directed by: Jonathan Nastasi and Vivian Sorenson | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
Come along with Nick Offerman as he visits farms, gardens, and fisheries across the United States to engage with those who work daily to keep fresh food on our tables. With an affable spirit and an intelligent eye, the benefits and innovations of independent farming are contrasted with the inherent perils of mass-produced, ultra-processed foods in a palatable, easy-to-digest manner, serving as a call to action as well as an appreciation of the best versions of the salad or burger on your dinner plate.
Frogtown
Directed by: Costa Karalis | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
How powerful is childhood imagination? Costa Karlalis’ Frogtown draws us into a world where myth is reality. Set in a small Southern town, this feature reminds us about the art of collective dreaming. In this film, you’ll see complex family dynamics along with a reverence for the mystery of the natural world. Suspend your disbelief and amplify the amphibian!
Game
Directed by: John Minton | Country: UK
Produced and co-written by Portishead co-founder Geoff Barrow and starring post-punk duo Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson. A car crash turns one man’s night of clubbing into a claustrophobic fight to stay alive. Alone in the wreckage, injured and trapped, he has to outlast the elements, the dark, and whatever’s watching just outside the light, raising the question of who’s really game.
The General: 100th Anniversary (with Live Score)
Directed by: Buster Keaton | Country: USA
Honoring the Centennial of “The General” and the heritage of independent film, the Alabama Chapter of the American Theatre Society along with Sidewalk Film Festival presents a celebratory screening of what is considered Keaton’s greatest film. Presented with Live Organ Accompaniment with original score by Tom Helms, the film is presented much as it would have been in 1926 with the Alabama Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer.
Ghost in the Machine
Directed by: Valerie Veatch | Country: UK | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
A sharp take on AI’s dark side—where eugenics fears and human worth clash in a tech-driven world. It dares us to ask: What happens to people’s value when those who build AI decide who matters? The risks of AI go far beyond what most expect.
Glorious Summer
Directed by: Bartosz Szpak and Helena Ganjalyan | Country: Poland
Filled with stunning, sun-soaked cinematography and big questions about what it means to be a girl in the world, GLORIOUS SUMMER conjures an atmosphere of curious serenity—a series of perpetually peaceful summer days in which three young girls live, play, and commune in a crumbling idyll. Amid this visual poetry, however, tensions surface.
The Happiest Day of My Life (O Dia Mais Feliz da Minha Vida)
Directed by: Vicente Alves do Ó | Country: Portugal | Premiere: World Premiere
The prismatic colors of Portugal in 1982 contrast the tensions that are the pulse of this film. 10-year-old Vasco is caught between childhood’s wonders and adulthood’s miseries. His mother is struggling to stay afloat, social pressures keep him from knowing his father, and he simply wants to understand it all.
Heaven Above Rowan
Directed by: Alice Voena | Country: USA | Premiere: World Premiere
Director Alice Voena’s mumblecore feature is a luscious journey through the mind of a queer cult leader consumed by psychedelic visions of a prophesied doomsday. Told in a series of poetic monologues narrated by Rowen Amadeus Camor (Alice Voena) and a hallucinated deity named Promise (John Cameron Mitchell), Rowen searches for meaning and identity as the revelation approaches.
Human Theories
Directed by: Jess Zeidman | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
In this directorial debut from Jess Zeidman, we watch people living in New York City, walking with them through their day-to-day interactions. Human Theories immerses us in the colorful tapestry of the city while enticing us to reflect on our own relationships and explore how far-reaching our connections could be with passing strangers.
Hunky Jesus
Directed by: Jennifer Kroot | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are known for inserting bawdy humor and zany satire into unique queer activism. Explore this entertaining closeup on their San Francisco origins and following a riveting set of campy nuns during an over-the-top Easter in the Park 2023 celebration set against a beautiful sunny afternoon backdrop in Dolores Park.
I Got Bombed at Harvey’s
Directed by: Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
In 1980, a gambler who’d lost a fortune at a Lake Tahoe casino decided to get revenge, forcing his two sons to help him build a bomb and hold the casino hostage for millions. What they assembled in the family garage became the most diabolical device the FBI had ever seen.
In Love, In Memory
Directed by: Shalon Buskirk and Drew Swedberg | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
A parent and a poet convene to build a vulnerable vignette about grief, remembrance, and the future of their ever-changing environment. Linking the topics of gun violence and housing injustice, they highlight the impacts of displacement and the desire for communal stabilization.
INTERACTION
Directed by: Dallas Richard Hallam | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
Set in a town that could be anywhere, USA, “Interaction” follows a woman who works as an independent housekeeper. In addition to cleaning houses, she has a passion for spying on her clients, eventually coming in contact with someone who is equally as depraved as her. Directed by Dallas Richard Hallam, who grew up in Birmingham, “Interaction” is a very well made psychological suspense horror film that you will not forget, for better or for worse.
Jaripeo
Directed by: Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig | Country: Mexico, France, USA
Jaripeo offers a nuanced exploration of queer identity within the deeply traditional world of hypermasculine Mexican rodeos. Set in rural Michoacán, the film captures the eclectic lives of rancheros that navigate this secret subculture which both honors and defies the rigid cowboy mythology. Lensed beautifully on Super 8, Jaripeo is the feature directorial debut of Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig.
Joybubbles
Directed by: Rachael J Morrison | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
Meet the charming Josef Carl Engressia Jr, an early hacker aka a “phone phreak” from the 1960s, who although blind, could whistle with perfect pitch to make long distance phone calls for free. While definitely illegal, it enabled him to chat with and inspire people all over the world. (Audio description and captioning devices available upon request.)
Kikuyu Land
Directed by: Andrew H. Brown and Bea Wangondu | Country: Kenya
The central highlands in Kenya is one of the most verdant, fertile agricultural lands in the world. A land rights dispute attracts Kenya-based journalist Bea Wangondu to uncover the depths to which multinational corporations have exploited this veritable “Garden of Eden” and its inhabitants. The secrets she uncovers and the struggles she documents reveal the undying legacy of a wicked past.
The Last Picture Shows
Directed by: Rustin Thompson | Country: USA
Bittersweet love letter to small town movie theaters in the American West. Beautiful visuals and enchanting music underscore the stories of the struggles of independent cinemas. If you love going to the movies, don’t miss it.
Last Shot
Directed by: Andy Palmer | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
Filmed right here in Birmingham, Last Shot follows 12-year-old basketball player Caden Isaacs as he navigates an unexpected and sudden tragedy. Forced to move to a different city to live with his previously absent, workaholic mother, Caden learns that his actions have consequences as he tries to fit in with a new basketball team while Lexi juggles family and work responsibilities.
Latin Clowns Evolution
Directed by: Jacob Koestler and Michael McDermit | Country: USA | Premiere: World Premiere
Latin Clowns Evolution chronicles an annual weeklong convention where Latino clowns gather in South Los Angeles. The documentary seamlessly juxtaposes their joyful performances with stories of immigration, sacrifice, and resilience. As they learn new tricks and share deeply personal backstories, these artists remind us that spreading joy and laughter is a radical healing force.
Leaving Angola
Directed by: Andrew Kukura | Country: USA
Leaving Angola follows Justin Singleton, a man serving life without parole for murder at Louisiana’s infamous state penitentiary, and Derek Moss, a young father preparing for early release who he has taken under his wing. When Derek returns home, he must put Justin’s life lessons to the test as both of the men’s lives take unexpected turns. Filmed over seven years with rare access inside America’s largest maximum-security prison, this film is a powerful exploration of family, redemption, and the realities of reentry in America’s most incarcerated state.
Lilly
Directed by: Rachel Feldman | Country: USA
When Lilly Ledbetter discovered that she was being paid much less than male co-workers doing the same job at the Goodyear plant in Gadsden, Alabama, she sued, taking the case all the way to to the US Supreme Court. Patricia Clarkson portrays Lilly in this 2024 film, showing the personal risks and emotional costs of that fight.
Lunar Sway
Directed by: Nick Butler | Country: Canada | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
In a remote desert town called Moon Crest, Cliff, a young man struggling with his love life, takes an unexpected turn when he encounters his estranged birth mother, whose hidden past draws him into an unexpected adventure, challenging his hopes for connection, identity, and love.
Moonchild: The Life and Music of Yusuf Salim
Directed by: Kenny Dalsheimer and Rafael Samanez | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
An endearing look at Jazz musician Yusuf Salim through his voice and the artists he inspired over the years. Salim was the core force behind the development of a beautiful music community in Durham North Carolina. A community built on connection and support which shows the power of music.
Nuclear Boy
Directed by: Joren Molter | Country: Netherlands | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
Aike is a 17 year old boy from the Netherlands who builds a nuclear reactor in his shed. I guess you could call him Aikenheimer! Nuclear Boy is a charming, quirky, beautifully shot coming of age film with an eerie musical score about a precocious teen trying to find their place in the world.
Our Body Electric
Directed by: Dana Reilly | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
As three elite female bodybuilders pursue their dream of a Ms. Olympia title, they confront the difficult realities of a male-dominated sport. Balancing physical demands with relationships, careers, and motherhood, they each question what sacrifices are worth it and how much space to take up in a world that tries to keep women small.
Penny Lane is Dead
Directed by: Mia’Kate Russell | Country: Australia
Set in the sweltering Australian summer of 1986, Mia’Kate Russell’s survival thriller debut feature follows Penny and her best friends celebrating university acceptance at a remote beach house. The ‘no dick event’ spirals into a blood-soaked nightmare when an uninvited cousin, Kat, and a crew of dangerous men crash the party.
Pigeon Religion
Directed by: Troy Vetri | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
New York City has about five million pigeons and eight people who really truly love them. Some race their pigeons. Others rescue sick and hurt ones, while a few just think pigeons are beautiful, even though most people call them dirty. This movie shows why they care so much.
Ponderosa
Directed by: Rob Rice | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
After the Ponderosa buffet closes, an older regular, George (Bill Camp), tries to become a surrogate father figure to Zeke, the aimless son of a single mother who works at the restaurant. As Zeke searches for a sense of self against a backdrop of generational expectations and half-formed ideological notions of masculinity, George is drawn into his own distorted attempt at self-recognition.
Possum Town
Directed by: Daniel Christian | Country: USA
Through the lens of prolific photographer O. N. Pruitt, Possum Town introduces us to Columbus, MS during the Jim Crow era. Nearly a century later, the citizens of Columbus’ lives are juxtaposed against the images of the past and the perspectives of today as we are guided through Pruitt’s photographic archive. This film invites us to engage with history, its preservation and its influence on the present.
PUNKIE
Directed by: Audrey Olsen | Country: USA
You may know Punkie Johnson from several seasons on SNL, but PUNKIE creates a raw, behind the scenes portrait of a stand up comedian and Saturday Night Live star as she deals with life, touring on the road, trying to protect her artistic voice, and true self.
Riverkeeper
Directed by: Jason Goldman | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
Award-winning, lifelong environmental activist Dr. Jackie Echols is dedicated to protecting Atlanta’s South River, the largest freshwater system in the state. When planned construction of “Cop City” (the largest police training facility in America) threatens the ecosystem and forest that serves predominately Black communities, activism and politics intersect into a story of environmental defense and grassroots activism. This observational documentary shows how environmental issues affect us all while also serving as a call for immediate action.
Saber
Directed by: Matthew Wiatt | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
Star Wars fandom meets competitive fencing in this moving documentary. Part underdog sports story, part celebration of fandom, part touching story of friendship through competition. The best time you will have watching nerds whack each other with glowsticks.
Saving Etting Street
Directed by: Amy Scott and Dena Fisher | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
Carpenter Shelley Halstead trains a group of three young, Black women in construction skills by rehabbing vacant and abandoned houses in West Baltimore, challenging generations of racism and sexism in housing. When tensions arise within the diverse group of young women she’s teaching to build and a suspicious fire destroys one of her buildings, Shelley is forced to rethink her vision of community.
Seized
Directed by: Sharon Liese | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
The Marion County Record in Marion, Kansas was raided by the police in 2023 for very dubious reasons. “Seized” examines the events of that day along with the fallout, including personal tragedy. It’s a story of small town politics resulting in an international look at press freedom and journalistic ethics.
Sell Your House
Directed by: Eric Alexander Foss and Brandon Pickering | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
Two enthusiastic dreamers with practically no cash set out on what’s sure to be a brilliant venture. James, fueled by his ever-present ambition, bets his entire house on Francis’ indie film—because who needs stability when you could be a cinematic legend? But of course, such reckless pursuits tend to blow up in your face, reminding us that sometimes, having endless ambition is just a fancy way of shooting yourself in the foot.
SELMA: Songs of the Crossing
Directed by: Jean-Jacques Cunnac | Country: France | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
A lost New York artist visits Selma, Alabama searching for himself and inspiration. He explains his experiences, explorations, and the history to his son while he visits the town for the Jubilee highlighting the contrasts of the city’s past and history to current daily life.
Sender
Directed by: Russell Goldman | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
Julia grapples with her wavering sobriety and unemployment when the first unordered package arrives. It’s her lipstick – which she knows she didn’t order – in the package that marks the start of the mysterious deliveries that bombard her new rental home. In her hyperfixated search for the sender, Julia spirals in and out of her paranoia.
She Keeps Me Young
Directed by: Doron Max Hagay | Country: USA
Meaningful story about self discovery and learning to stand up for yourself. It also explores the complexity of friendships, especially questioning if they are genuine. The ending is thought provoking and leaves you wondering if Michelle finally recognizes the truth about her so-called friendship with Kelly.
Show Me the Line
Directed by: Kelsey Ianuzzi | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
When an Alabama court jeopardizes access to IVF and her own embryos, artist Abbey Crain refuses to surrender her creative power. In this triumphant tour de force, Crain and a group of fertility patients reckon with the threats to their family future, unearthing hope from an unsettled legal landscape.
Sincerely, Ric
Directed by: Jesse Carfield | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
Ric Routledge covered the dog-show world for a living, mailing subscribers a VHS tape from every ring on the circuit, decades before streaming. When he died, his old friend Jesse Carfield inherited the entire archive and assembled the story of Ric’s rise and fall, told in Ric’s own voice.
Snake Oil Song
Directed by: Micah Van Hove | Country: USA
In the outskirts of the Amazon, Chino spends his days hunting down anacondas. When an American journalist hires him for a mysterious job, his life on the river goes downstream.
Sons of Detroit
Directed by: Jeremy Xido | Country: USA | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
Director Jeremy Xido does the near-impossible by constructing an autobiographical film with a detective story about his own upbringing while delving deep into the last gasp inside Detroit’s working class of the 1960s and ‘70s. An honest conversation 20 years later about family and race develops as he digs deep after returning home to a community gripped with conflict, silence and clouds of mystery.
TheyDream
Directed by: William David Caballero | Country: USA
After a series of successful short films, director William David Caballero has evolved his storytelling techniques and crafted a unique debut feature that doubles as an ode to his own family. Centered around his own Puerto Rican parents’ struggles with loss and acceptance, this hybrid animated documentary is unlike anything else you will see this year. Deeply personal stories are rarely told with such imagination, and TheyDream is a shining example of creating as an act of healing.
Three Black Men
Directed by: Sienna McLean-LoGreco | Country: USA | Premiere: US Premiere
Three Black men retrace the harrowing slave route, walking through sites of historical suffering and resilience. As they confront the lingering brutality of colonialism, they retrieve lost stories and power, transforming generational trauma into pride. Along the way, they connect with communities, honor their ancestors, and forge a vibrant, revitalized sense of connection and identity. Their journey evolves into a powerful act of remembrance, healing, and cultural affirmation.
Voyager
Directed by: Trevor Mastro | Country: USA | Premiere: World Premiere
Embie, an aspiring concert photographer, embarks on a tour with an intergalactic band that challenges his own perceptions of success and responsibility. An animated micro-feature five years in the making, Trevor Mastro has independently crafted and produced a personal, one-of-a-kind psychedelic experience (with an excellent soundtrack) that you are unlikely to forget.
Warla
Directed by: Kevin Alambra | Country: Philippines | Premiere: US Premiere
WARLA is a crime-drama based on the true story of the Warla Gang, a group of transgender women who kidnap foreigners for ransom money to fund their gender-affirming surgeries. The film examines the struggles and treatment of marginalized individuals searching for acceptance.
Warriors
Directed by: Leland Hall | Country: USA | Premiere: World Premiere
Warriors reveals the story of Mobile’s 2009 Davidson High School football team which featured the first high school duo drafted by the same NFL team, Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt. The reminiscences of the players, coaches, and family members of this dynamic team overlap to reveal the combined pressures of young athletes doing everything to follow their NFL dreams.
We Are The Shaggs
Directed by: Ken William Kwapis | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
After a father in rural New Hampshire is inspired by his own mother’s prophecy that his three daughters will be world famous rock stars. The problem was that the daughters, Dorothy, Betty, and Helen Wiggin, had no interest in playing music. This did not stop their father who bought them their own recording studio which produced music that was once called the worst band in rock history.
We Name Ourselves
Directed by: Alejandra Alcala and Alex Garcia Martinez | Country: Mexico | Premiere: Southeast Premiere
Once a grim prison, now a Malawi migration camp. Asylum seekers convert hardship into inspiration, which is meant to crush the human spirit. The camp, on fire with resistance against inhumanity, empowers young people to host a vibrant festival that draws tens of thousands. Spoken word speaks truth to power, weaving strength and unity. Even in oppression, dreams are reborn and an unbreakable sense of community flourishes, defying every hardship.
When We Were Live
Directed by: John Spottswood Moore | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
Go back in time to when Austin, Texas was weird and its public access television in the 1980s was even weirder in the best ways possible. When We Were Live is a collection of the actual footage that helped give a voice to a colorful assortment of Austinites.
Wood Street
Directed by: Caron Creighton | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
Award-winning director Caron Creighton gives an inspiring look into Oakland, California’s largest unhoused encampment. The film follows John and LaMonté, two of the encampment’s residents, as they work to organize their neighbors against the state and local governments’ efforts to displace their community.
You Fuckers Figure It Out: A Jason Molina Story
Directed by: Tommy Nickoloff | Country: USA | Premiere: Alabama Premiere
As a songwriter who gave us, in his own words, “one continuous thread” throughout his work, Jason Molina (1973-2013) meant so much to so many people. This film gives us the beginning of a haunted legend and quietly leaves us in the middle of his story, one that only his friends and collaborators can help decipher. “Every night pain comes from a different place,” indeed.
The Sandbox (Closing Night Film)
Directed by: Kenya-Jade Pinto | Country: Canada
One journalist. One man seeking a better life. One tragedy. Experience the hidden connections between surveillance technology and migration, greedy corporations and corrupt governments exploiting the lives of vulnerable people. These events reflect a wider pattern of exploitation and tragedy in a system focused on profit rather than on protecting asylum seekers. As borders tighten and technology becomes more invasive, human rights are eroded, and compassion fades. This film aims to expose this profit-driven system, but a question remains: What will it take for the world to see migrants’ humanity?
SHORT FILMS
Alabama Docs: From River to Clay
- The Mayor of Rasslin’ — Directed by Layla Khan-Hickman (United States)
- Are You Listening? Poetry in the Magic City — Directed by Juliana Eberhardt, Sophie Estrada, Amelia Velaski (United States)
- HYPERSCALED — Directed by Maya Estrera (United States)
- Final Press — Directed by John Haley (United States)
- Monograph: David Brower — Directed by Christopher E. Holmes (United States)
- Memory Work — Directed by Jada Brielle Ceaser (United States)
- Ādi — Directed by Sukanya Subramaniyan (India)
- The Chukker: Nation of Misfits — Directed by Nate Billings, Charlotte Gale (United States)
- Wall of Sound — Directed by Anissa Latham-Brown (United States)
Alabama Narratives: Made in Alabama
- Picklish — Directed by Jori Parson, Clea Collins
- Job Search — Directed by Lewis Bruce
- Growing Up in the 4th Dimension — Directed by Dylane Thomas Hurd
- Scrambled in Space — Directed by Lih Cunha Rohleder
- “Bleeds Through” by Noah Praise God — Directed by Julian Clark
- A Shot in the Dark — Directed by Grantland Thomas Earle, Regan Arnett
- Cause of Death — Directed by Benjamin Johnson
- Mr Jesus — Directed by Emily Best
- Man and Mattress — Directed by Andrew Reisfeld
Animated Shorts: Cel-ular Delight
- Church Hat — Directed by Miceál Og O’Donnell
- FIRSTBORN — Directed by Olivia G Porrill
- Sundays — Directed by Ashley Gerst
- Living with a Visionary — Directed by Stephen P. Neary
- To Have and To Hold — Directed by Julianne Martin
- Idle Hands — Directed by Ellie Roberts
- Deep in the Folds of My Mind — Directed by Mac Muggeo
- Dormilón — Directed by Olivia Marie Valdez
- Snow Bear — Directed by Aaron Blaise
- Captain Zero: Into the Abyss Part II — Directed by Z Cher-Aimé
Animated Shorts: Colors of the World
- Chip — Directed by Pete Ireland
- One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six — Directed by Yingdan Lai
- 113 Words for You Today — Directed by Bo Qing Tang, Lan Zeng
- Blessed — Directed by Birute Sodeikaite
- Snake Soup — Directed by Zack Demirtshyan
- On Saint Nicholas’ Eve — Directed by Robin Emy Mirel Ivasca
- A Sparrow’s Song — Directed by Tobias Eckerlin
- The Nest — Directed by Aurélien Coquery, Léa Kermanach, Soline Mauguin, Abel Tixador, Jean Baounon, Romane Selter-Fiette
- Dreamwalker — Directed by Luca Schenato, Sinem Vardarli
- Éiru — Directed by Giovanna Ferrari
Black Lens Shorts: More Than a Monolith
- Capriccio — Directed by Kiah Clingman
- Lemon — Directed by Beth Curry
- A Mystical Ornithology — Directed by Jeremy Seifert, Benjamin James Roberts
- God Sleeps On Sundays — Directed by Naishe Nyamubaya
- Eternal — Directed by Joshua Jeffrey Miller
- Spilled Milk — Directed by Jared Leaf
Crime Docs: Beyond the Bars
- That Night — Directed by Hoda Sobhani
- Correspondence — Directed by Paul K. Oh
- Investigator — Directed by Jennifer Grausman
- Sites of Memory — Directed by Antonio Tarrell, Castel V Sweet, Michael Fagans
- Free Joan Little — Directed by Yoruba Richen
Doc Shorts: Expanding Horizons
- What’s My Name? — Directed by Yuge Zhou
- Within Me — Directed by Sherlyn Reyes Zamora
- Freedom of the Press — Directed by Pablo Quintero
- Rolling Film, Rocking History, Al Maysles Captures the Beatles — Directed by Bart Weiss
- The Day Is Not Lost — Directed by Kay Hannahan
- The Theory of Spice — Directed by Gilly Barnes
- Zastava Brothers — Directed by Pep Stojanovic
Doc Shorts: Legacies
- ERUCTATION — Directed by Victoria Trow
- Houdini II: A Beautiful Day to Die — Directed by Daniel John
- Hwy 101 Yard Sale — Directed by Andrew Johnston, Jackson Townsend
- Fred’s Basement Bijou — Directed by Michael T Vollmann
- BUCKSKIN — Directed by Mars Verrone
- Submitting Tigers — Directed by Luke Kellerhouse
Doc Shorts: The Extra-Ordinary
- Monograph: Ajene Williams — Directed by Matthew Grcic
- Oh Whale — Directed by Winslow Crane-Murdoch
- From Rodeo to Polo: The First HBCU Polo Team — Directed by Kendi King
- Roots & Relics — Directed by Matthew Josiah Avant
- A New Inferno — Directed by Nita Blum, Jonathan Pickett
Environmental Docs: This World We Call Home
- Discarded — Directed by Jason O’Brien
- Constellations of the Sea — Directed by Addie Akina Knoll
- Where the River Flows — Directed by Emily Rabbideau
- UNDERMINED — Directed by Lily Huffman
- Willie and His Pigs — Directed by Emily Cooper
- Invasive Florida — Directed by Stephen DeVries
- A DERAILMENT — Directed by Nathan Truesdell
Family Shorts: Forever Young
- Blu’s — Directed by Rajesh PK
- Reel Birmingham — Directed by Daniel Munoz, Brandon Grant
- Forever Home — Directed by Ashley Wong
- Dawn — Directed by Gary Telly Jeannot
- Like Father — Directed by Jared Callahan
- Armadillo Olympics — Directed by Bae Allen
- Snow Bear — Directed by Aaron Blaise
- Two Tears — Directed by Josefina Pieres
Family Shorts: Kid at Heart
- Doggozord — Directed by Kelsey Norden
- Chasing Dreams — Directed by Gerald Crummie
- Sunspark — Directed by Danny Bourque
- Symphony in the Skies — Directed by Nathan Winston Burrell
- Jamie’s Cosmic Chase — Directed by Gabrielle Foret
- Creep — Directed by Daniela Abarca
- The Epic of Enkidu — Directed by Mike A Smith
- Flick: A Fingerboarding Story — Directed by Graham Abney
- The Ottoman — Directed by Mike Stamm
Genre Shorts: A Midnight Dreary
- Run From It — Directed by Racha Kongsommart
- It’s a Wonderful Night of the Living Dead — Directed by John Bell, Dan Bell
- The Seeing Eye Dog Who Saw Too Much — Directed by Eric Jackowitz
- “Ye Kou Si Kuo” by Naive New Beaters & Star Feminine Band — Directed by Lola Lefèvre
- Dirty Fuzz — Directed by Daniel Chimes
- The Knowing — Directed by Marcus January
- NEEDLE — Directed by Sofie Somoroff
- 99 GHOSTS — Directed by Gonzalo Francisco Torrens Thevenet
Genre Shorts: More Things in Heaven & Earth
- Please and Thank You — Directed by Hal Kirkland
- Ultra Juice — Directed by Carl Conway Maguire
- Aptitude — Directed by Natasha Mynhier
- “Take Me To Your Leader” by My Mom Is Here — Directed by Benjamin Rummans
- The Humbug — Directed by Cole Paviour
- Ape Shit — Directed by Dahlia Jane Kressler
- Headphones — Directed by Steven Arriagada
- Closing Hour — Directed by Tim Smink
- Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting — Directed by Alexander Thompson
Life & Liberty Shorts: Claiming Space
- From Fields to Flight — Directed by Ipshita Bhattacharyya
- Faithful Defenders — Directed by Barbara Jean Hall
- White Nine — Directed by Nilou Safinya
- Oceanbone — Directed by Lani Cupchoy
- HER BABY DIDN’T BLOCK HER JUMP SHOT — Directed by Emily M Lobsenz
Life & Liberty Shorts: Freedom in Practice
- Sea Song — Directed by An-Phuong Ly
- Honor Song — Directed by Ryan Begay
- 60 Years of Selma — Directed by Jori Parson
- The Other Roe — Directed by Wendy Eley Jackson
- Projecting Protest — Directed by Thomas Clement
Narrative Shorts: In Frame
- Reflections — Directed by Stephen DeVries
- The Repetition for Love — Directed by Kyungrok Kim
- Gary — Directed by Tim Cofield
- Timelessness — Directed by Sasha Timan
- Leica — Directed by Sagi Kahane-Rapport
- Pinball, Brooklyn — Directed by Geoffrey Levy
- The Ride — Directed by Slava Denisov
Narrative Shorts: In Translation
- THE SENTRY — Directed by Jake Wachtel
- “Tell ‘Em” by Terry Blade — Directed by Terry Blade
- Paloma — Directed by Raul Martinez Liera
- Unwanted — Directed by Roman Sinitsyn
- Max — Directed by Adrien Boublil
- Escudo Invisible (The Invisible Shield) — Directed by Maximilian Barrón
Narrative Shorts: Never Alone
- The Boy with the Dinosaur Head — Directed by Imran J Khan
- Leo Lets It Rain — Directed by Jasmin Prophete
- DISC — Directed by Blake Rice
- “dirt” by emory — Directed by Julia Fernandez
- Terrarium — Directed by Morgon Dickerson
- Mary the Widow — Directed by Ryan Noufer
- Vital — Directed by Amir Zargara
- I Think About Killing You — Directed by Ran Ran Wang
Narrative Shorts: To Make You Smile
- Loco — Directed by Eddie Mujica
- The Sisters of Scott County — Directed by Courtney Hoffman
- Stop to Stop — Directed by Samantha Massell, Asher Grodman
- A Night In — Directed by Eduardo Olmos
- Big Little Love — Directed by Liesa Cole
- UN-DEAD — Directed by Bo Webb
- Another Day in the West — Directed by Matthew Sliger
- The Method — Directed by Luke Howe
SHOUT Shorts Docs: Exploring Community
- Love Birds — Directed by Elliott Kennerson, Angel Morris
- Rainbow Rider — Directed by Georgia Krause
- There’s a Small Hotel — Directed by Michael Grodner
- Drag Me To Church — Directed by Isabella Sullivan
SHOUT Shorts Narratives: Slice of Life
- The Chimney — Directed by Michael McFarland, AP Boland
- Tomorrow — Directed by Christian Meola
- The Burial of the Black Cat — Directed by Maryam Esmaeli
- I Am The Prize — Directed by Sai Karan Talwar
- Cottonmouth — Directed by Ama Anane
- Sofia — Directed by Camila de Ilhéus
SHOUT Shorts: Almost After Dark
- Evergreen — Directed by Luke McCormick Gardiner
- Tuna Tartare — Directed by Lena Greene
- something still — Directed by Ariel S Mahler
- Scissors — Directed by Hannah Alline
- Cockroach — Directed by Justice Maya Singleton, Liliana Padilla
- The Bone Grinder — Directed by Danny Rhodes
Teen Shorts: Tomorrow’s Filmmakers
- Love You — Directed by Davy Forrester
- Time Will Tell — Directed by Peyton Cooper
- MIME — Directed by Gabri Blankson
- Dualists — Directed by Worthy Culverhouse
- Grow Up — Directed by Dari Justin
- Magnacamp — Directed by Landon Zimmer
- CHAD — Directed by Maria George, Silverr King
- Rocket — Directed by Luke Ashton Beall
- The Prime Candidate — Directed by Joseph Pickens, Graham Cason
- Dwell — Directed by Luke Ashton Beall
- No Small Matter — Directed by India Anne Mitchell
- Instant — Directed by Hudson Hillin
- Draupadi — Directed by Rishan Sathiyaa