I Think You Should Watch These Films at the 2024 Sidewalk Film Festival

Happy Sidewalk, citizens of and visitors to Birmingham! I’m dropping a bonus newsletter into your inbox this week in honor of the 26th annual Sidewalk Film Festival, one of my very favorite things. (If you won’t be at Sidewalk this weekend, I won’t be offended if you skip this one, although you could still find some useful movie recs here.)

Thanks in large part to my recent film festival excursions (and in small part to my Shudder subscription), I’ve actually seen 6.5 of this year’s feature film selections! Which is great for me, because that makes it easier to figure out my festival schedule this weekend. But it’s also great for you, hypothetical festival attendee, because it means I can hype up several films that I really enjoyed and hopefully steer you toward a few screenings.

If you’re curious about the Sidewalk Film Festival, they can give you a great primer on the experience. If you’re already planning on going (or strongly considering it), here are my recommendations.

A Song For Imogene (12:30 Saturday at the Lyric Theatre)

I've been asking for more authentic Southern stories in the indie film world for years now, and writer/director Erika Arlee must've heard me. A Song For Imogene tells the story of Cheyenne, a young musician who leaves her abusive boyfriend when she discovers that she's pregnant. Arlee and her team intentionally crafted this slow-burn narrative as a character study, and thanks in large part to a terrific performance from actor/producer Kristi Ray, they've told a story that should resonate with an Alabama audience. Also, if you're not hooked by the superb long take in the first few minutes, I don't know what to tell you. Stick around and watch my director partner Ben Stark moderate a discussion with the filmmakers!

Starring Jerry As Himself (3:15 Saturday at the Lyric Theatre)

I saw this feature all the way back in January of 2023 during the virtual Slamdance Film Festival—where it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize as well as a Best Actor honor for Jerry Hsu—and I’m glad it’s finally making the broader festival rounds. It's a really endearing genre-bender, combining a documentary about Jerry and his family with reenactments of his time spent as an undercover agent for the Chinese police. And while I don't want to spoil the turn it takes in the third act, I'll just say that it touches on a pretty topical subject as the bigger picture comes into focus.

No One Asked You (5:00 Saturday at First Church Birmingham)

I've only seen half of this film as of yet, because it overlapped with my own screening at the Oxford Film Festival. But I saw enough to know that it's certainly worth recommending. If abortion access is an important issue for you, and you could also use a few good laughs in this day and age, you'll find plenty to love from this saga as Lizz Winstead (co-creator of The Daily Show) and her team of activists travel the country to support women and abortion clinic employees (including a stop at Saturn here in Birmingham!). As an added bonus, my journalist friend Abbey Crain (who knows a thing or two about issues like this) will be moderating a panel with the filmmakers!

The Devil’s Bath (7:30 Saturday at the Alabama Theatre)

This one's for the bleak freaks out there. If you've seen the other films from this Austrian duo—Goodnight Mommy and The Lodge—then you’ll have a good idea what you’re in store for. Veronika Fiala and Severin Franz have a way of crafting a rich, textured world before ripping your soul out, and this may be their best-looking film yet. Unlike their first two features, though, The Devil's Bath is grounded in a particular moment in European history that might have you pulling up Wikipedia as the credits roll. (If you miss this one, or you need a schedule conflict tiebreaker, I should note that it's currently streaming on Shudder.)

Failed State (2:45 Sunday at the Sidewalk Cinema)

I caught this film back in March at the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival and really went for it. Dale Smith, a non-actor who was tasked with anchoring this docudrama, serves as an effective proxy for average Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic simply by attempting to balance his work life, his social life, and his personal health in a time of quiet crisis. Dale earns his living as a messenger, a wholly appropriate gig for someone who manages to remind us why humanity is worth fighting for. And if you've got a soft spot for New York City, you'll love spending time with Dale in his world.

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (3:00 Sunday at the Alabama Theatre)

Just when you might think that we've run out of compelling vampire stories to tell, now that we're more than 125 years removed from Bram Stoker's landmark novel, along comes this delightful French-Canadian film (which I caught at the Southern Fried Film Festival) to shake things up. The title serves as a great indicator of the plot, but the pairing of said humanist vampire and consenting suicidal person turns into a really effective coming-of-age drama with a genre edge to it. If you're averse to scary movies, take solace in the fact that this film leans more into romance and comedy than shocks and suspense. (There's enough blood to tide over the horror fiends, though.)

Oddity (3:00 Sunday at the Lyric Theatre)

The Irish know how to craft a folk horror tale, and Damian McCarthy has thrown his hat into the ring with style. But the MVP award here goes to Carolyn Bracken, who plays not just the central figure of a catastrophic event but the twin sister (and psychic medium) committed to demystifying the incident. There are plenty of well-paced dread and old-school scares to tide over anyone looking to get spooked, due in large part to a supremely creepy human-sized wooden golem that shows up early and often. This film might contain one of the best final shots of the year too.

By now you might be saying “Hey Jeremy, thanks for the recs, but what will you be seeing at the festival?” Well, I’m glad you asked.

First of all, I should note that I’m doing a panel! At 4:00 on Sunday at the Alabama School of Fine Art, I’ll be doing a presentation called The Production Value of Collaborative Screenwriting or How I Wrote a Script That Finally Got Made. I can’t tell you how to write a brilliant screenplay (since I’m still working on that myself), but if you or anyone you know is interested in the craft, I can tell you how I scaled back my creative ambitions, wrote strategically around available resources, and wound up writing a feature script that got produced. Hope to see some of y’all there!

Speaking of that feature script, I’ll also be introducing Vulcanizadora at 8:00 on Saturday at the Sidewalk Cinema! Joshua Burge, one of our lead actors in the film I recently worked on, reteamed with his creative muse Joel Potrykus for their fourth feature, which I am told it a sequel of sorts to Buzzard. I’ll be watching it for the first time myself that night, so I hope we pack the house and get this one an encore screening on Sunday.

The rest of my schedule is looking pretty great too. As of right now, I’m leaning toward The South Got Something to Say, Welcome Space Brothers, Secret Mall Apartment, Sleep, Seeking Mavis Beacon, and maybe a few others if I can. And of course Exhibiting Forgiveness on Opening Night. (Can you see why Sidewalk is one of my very favorite things?)

I’m looking forward to seeing my community show out for another great edition of the festival this week. And hopefully I made your schedule decisions a little bit easier. See y’all at the movies!

Check out the full Sidewalk Film Festival schedule, then buy your tickets and come enjoy the most wonderful time of the year!