Alabama Independent Film News

Fairhope Film Festival sets 2026 dates, opens short film submissions August 1

Fairhope Film Festival has set Nov. 12-15 for its 14th annual run, with short film submissions opening Aug. 1 and a July workshop already on the calendar.

Jamie Taylor•2 min read•12:28 PM

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Birmingham casting call seeks actor for racist cop Munson role

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University of Alabama program trains students for indie film careers

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Sidewalk brings Mulholland Drive back for SHOUT Spotlight Weekend

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The Phenix City Story turned an Alabama scandal into national cinema

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Capri Theatre hosts members-only Clover/Capri screening in Montgomery

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Community

Sidewalk Film Festival sets August 2026 dates in downtown Birmingham

Sidewalk has locked in August 24-30, 2026 downtown, with more than 200 films, free Sched planning and opening night set for The History of Concrete.

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News

Birmingham casting notice seeks non-union stand-ins for independent film

A Birmingham stand-in call opens July 20 for a non-paid feature shoot set for Sept. 7-11, giving locals a direct way onto set.

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Updates

Azalea Film Festival returns to Mobile with 2026 feature submissions opening July 25

Mobile filmmakers get a July 25 target as Azalea Film Festival opens 2026 feature submissions. The festival wants films over 40 minutes and under 120, in any genre.

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Community

Bama Art House Film Series returns to Historic Bama Theatre for 2026-2027

The Bama Art House Film Series is back at Historic Bama Theatre with classics, family favorites, blockbusters and seasonal screenings, plus tickets as low as $8.

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Community

Sidewalk Film brings back Spotlight Film Week for 2026 festival

Spotlight Film Week returns Aug. 24-27 at Sidewalk Cinema, giving Birmingham film fans a four-day way in before Sidewalk’s 200-plus-film festival spreads downtown.

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Community

Princess Theatre to host special screening of You Are Here with Judd Nelson

Judd Nelson heads to Decatur for a one-night Princess Theatre screening of You Are Here, a new 2026 indie feature touring with its cast and crew. The Aug. 5 event puts a fresh title on a historic Alabama screen.

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Analysis

Auburn exhibition history shows roots of Alabama independent film

Auburn’s moviegoing past explains Alabama indie film now: the scene still depends on venues, audiences, and programming that turn screenings into shared events.

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Analysis

Alabama State film minor blends theory and hands-on indie skills

Alabama State’s 18-hour film-studies minor gives students a flexible route into indie work, pairing theory with photography and TV production skills.

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Analysis

Indie Film Lab keeps Alabama film alive with developing and scanning

Montgomery’s Indie Film Lab gives Alabama filmmakers a local path to develop rolls, scan negatives, and keep originals safe for future re-scans.

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Analysis

SAGindie points Alabama filmmakers to state film office resources

SAGindie’s Alabama page gives indie crews a local starting line: the state film office, incentive steps, and regional contacts to line up before the first shoot.

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Analysis

Alabama film office guide explains how property owners get paid

Alabama’s film money often starts on private land, so the first thing to vet is the deal, not the camera. Get insurance, hours, parking, damage, and restoration nailed down before you hand over the keys.

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Analysis

RaMell Ross shows how Alabama indie films can trust place and rhythm

RaMell Ross turns Hale County into a blueprint: stay with one Alabama place, let rhythm and silence carry the cut, and build meaning by watching instead of explaining.

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Analysis

How Alabama arts grants can help indie filmmakers fund projects

Alabama filmmakers can tap state arts money through the Visual Arts grant program, but the real move is matching your project to the right deadline and funding lane.

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Analysis

YellowHammer Film Festival opens Alabama film pipeline for student creators

YellowHammer gives Alabama students a free first foothold in film, then points them toward statewide screenings, memberships, and incentive-backed work.

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Analysis

How Alabama Independent Filmmakers Can Access State Arts Grants and Support

A practical, step-by-step primer for Alabama filmmakers on using the Alabama State Council on the Arts’ public materials and local arts agencies to find, apply for, and manage state arts funding.

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News

Birmingham casting call seeks actor for racist cop Munson role

A Birmingham call seeks a local male actor in his 40s for Munson, a racist cop with 21 lines in one scene, before filming starts July 20.

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News

Meghann Fahy film The Girlfriend starts shooting in Birmingham

Meghann Fahy and Glenn Howerton’s The Girlfriend turned Forest Park’s Glen View Road into a live set, with Birmingham’s crew base and film incentives in play.

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Analysis

Film Birmingham updates crew directory to connect locals with productions

Film Birmingham’s crew and casting pages are the fastest local on-ramp to set work, but the crew directory has a clear threshold: one paid professional credit first.

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Analysis

What makes a film count as Alabama independent cinema?

A film counts as Alabama indie when its ties are real: Alabama shoot, Alabama-based filmmaker, or Alabama cast and crew. Sidewalk turns that into a practical test.

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News

Curry Barker’s Obsession tops $400 million worldwide after surprise horror run

Obsession has climbed past $404.4 million worldwide, turning Curry Barker’s $750,000 horror gamble into Focus Features’ biggest hit.

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News

Mobile teen documentary on Clotilda earns state, national attention

Cassie Williams, 13, took her Clotilda documentary from a Mobile classroom to state awards and a Smithsonian showcase, marking an early Alabama film breakout.

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Community

Alabama screens Young Washington free for America’s 250th anniversary

AFP-Alabama put Young Washington on eight free Alabama matinees, with popcorn and drinks included, as the state’s America 250 calendar filled up.

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News

Birmingham casting call opens roles in Kinigra Deon’s Sundown Town

Birmingham actors got a direct shot at 28 non-union roles in Kinigra Deon’s Sundown Town, a locally shot feature tied to Tubi’s creator slate.

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News

Tonea Stewart urges Alabama to treat film as economic development

Tonea Stewart used Capitol Journal to push Alabama film as jobs work, not just movie buzz, while her American Theatre of Being adds a training path in Montgomery.

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Analysis

Tuskegee footage of George Washington Carver reveals Alabama indie roots

Alabama indie film starts earlier than the festival circuit. A private Tuskegee color portrait of George Washington Carver shows how local, restrained footage can become lasting history.

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Community

Sidewalk’s Bad Movie Night offers free, communal camp at downtown Birmingham cinema

Sidewalk’s free Bad Movie Night packed downtown Birmingham with surprise screenings, a bar and first-come seats, turning camp into an easy on-ramp for local film fans.

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Community

Film Birmingham workshop trains newcomers for Alabama film sets

Film Birmingham’s PA Technical Skills Workshop gives newcomers the hands-on basics that matter on day one, from C-stands to call sheets, inside Birmingham’s crew pipeline.

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Analysis

Why Alabama filmmakers turn to documentary work first

Alabama’s easiest first film is often a documentary, because the grants, archives, and audience infrastructure are already in place.

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Community

Sidewalk Film brings The Experimenter to Birmingham for Science on Screen discussion

Sidewalk Film paired The Experimenter with Catherine Wright for a one-night Birmingham discussion on Milgram, obedience and authority.

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