Sidewalk Cinema Debuts in Birmingham Soon
Chloe Cook, Sidewalk Film Festival’s executive director, was going through sample carpets recently at the new Sidewalk Cinema and Film Center. She says construction is right on schedule.
The theater will have two lounge areas, a bar, and comfy theater seats. There’s also a large classroom that will be used for youth programs and film education.
Sidewalk started fundraising for the cinema in 2016 and has raised $4.2 million. Cook says the mission is the same as the film festival’s.
“To promote filmmaking in the state of Alabama and to promote audience building for independent film so that underrepresented voices have an audience for their stories” she says.
The two-theater cinema will screen indie films 365 days a year. Cook says it’s been a longtime dream for Sidewalk. More than two decades ago, a group of filmmakers thought Birmingham needed an art house cinema. But the group’s first priority was to launch an annual film festival.
Today, people seem ready to support the new cinema.
Virginia Newcomb grew up in Alabaster but she moved to Los Angeles to become a filmmaker. She says in LA, she’d heard folks talking about Sidewalk Film Fest and the booming film scene in the South.
“There’s a movement happening here in Birmingham and filmmaking and really it’s a lot of people coming from outside of the state to make movies here which is exciting and great in terms of bringing money to the state and to the city” she says.
Sidewalk Festival has an estimated $1.4 million annual economic impact on the Birmingham area. The Birmingham City Council recently approved $200,000 in funding for the cinema. Council President Valerie Abbott says the new venue could bring in millions for the city. But that’s not the only thing she’s excited about.
“The vibe that it creates in Birmingham of having films being made locally and the business that is created for local providers, I mean these things are what’s really important” Abbott says.
Cook is confident the cinema will bring in even more dollars to the downtown area. It’s the latest addition to Birmingham’s theater district, joining the historic Lyric, Carver and Alabama theaters.
“And I think the cinema is going to add that sort of missing element to downtown where there’s a constant entertainment option that isn’t a concert” she says.
Cook hopes the new space will be ready in time for the Sidewalk Film Festival in August.
Crew of fatal US military crash included Alabama father recently deployed
The six U.S. service members who died in the crash of a U.S. military refueling aircraft included an Alabama father who had just been promoted and deployed. The U.S. government released the identities of the deceased service members Saturday.
Alabama poised to drastically overhaul utility regulation. Will it lower electric bills?
The Alabama Senate unanimously voted to expand the public service commission, and create a Secretary of Energy to address rising electricity prices. A bill in the House would go even further, requiring rate case hearings and limiting utility profits.
Musher from Alabama is going for back-to-back Iditarod wins
Riches and paid appearances haven’t followed Jessie Holmes since he won the world’s most famous sled dog race, the Iditarod, last year. He doesn't mind.
Bill would move Alabama to closed primaries
Right now, any Alabama voter can participate in a primary election. Lawmakers in Montgomery took up a bill this week that would change that system.
Auburn football player uses NIL funds to open a community hub in Birmingham
Jourdin Crawford, a freshman defensive lineman at Auburn, used earnings from a Name, Image, and Likeness deal to give back to his hometown.
Ivey commutes death sentence of inmate whose accomplice fired fatal shot
Charles “Sonny” Burton was sentenced to death for the killing of Doug Battle during a 1991 robbery. However, another man shot Battle when Burton had left the building.
