University of Montevallo Launches Student-Led Scene on the Bricks Film Festival

The Discover Shelby Theatre is hosting six hours of student and independent filmmaking today as Scene on the Bricks, the University of Montevallo's first student-led film festival, runs from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM with donation-based admission. For Alabama indie filmmakers looking to connect with emerging talent, the Q&A sessions built into the program are the entry point.

Festival director Emma McCarrell designed Scene on the Bricks around network-building: students moderate the Q&As, prepare festival materials, and run the full program schedule, making the event as much a practical training ground in festival operations as a screening showcase. That hands-on structure means attending filmmakers aren't just watching work, they're meeting the next generation of Alabama producers, directors, and cinematographers while those students practice the craft of public programming.

The awards structure reflects the festival's layered scope. The Brickies, as the prizes are called, cover seven categories: The Soldier for Best High School Film, The Roman for Best College Film, The Monarch for Best Indie Film, The Keystone for Best Cinematography, The Sailor for Best Script, The Shiner for Best Acting, and The Header for Judge's Choice. That spread across high school, collegiate, and open indie categories signals a deliberate invitation to the broader Alabama filmmaking community, not just UM students.

The zero-cost submission model, listed on FilmFreeway with a $0 fee, directly addresses one of the recurring barriers for early-career filmmakers in the state: festival circuits that charge submission fees before a creator has any revenue to offset them. Films submitted needed to be produced within the past year, run between 2.5 and 30 minutes, and be suitable for general audiences. The festival explicitly prohibited AI-generated work and plagiarism, and entrants received no screening fees.

For indie filmmakers who want to stay connected beyond today, the FilmFreeway page for Scene on the Bricks is the clearest channel to track future submission cycles and build a relationship with the program. The festival's no-fee model, student-run structure, and multi-category scope give it the architecture of a genuine pipeline: a place where Montevallo students get their first professional screening and where established Alabama filmmakers can step into mentorship, crew calls, or collaboration with a rising university program.