Birmingham’s Sidewalk Cinema and Film Center capital campaign making impressive progress — Still more work to be done

Sidewalk Film Festival representatives on Thursday provided an impressive update and a call to action regarding the “Make Movie Magic” capital campaign for construction of the Sidewalk Cinema and Film Center in Birmingham’s “The Pizitz” building.

To date, $4.2 million of the projected total of $4.9 million for the center’s development has been raised through contributions from Birmingham-area individuals, corporations and local government entities. The project most recently was boosted by the Birmingham City Council’s generous donation of $200,000.

While the capital campaign’s progress has been tremendous, there is still more work to be done to get to the finish line.

“April 2019 marked two years since the inception of fundraising efforts, and while we are proud of our progress — and appreciative of those providing financial support — we will be aggressive in our efforts as we work to secure another $750,000 in the coming months,” Chloe Cook, Sidewalk Film Festival executive director, explained in a statement.

This comes as the 21st Annual Sidewalk Film Festival is set for August 19-25 in downtown Birmingham.

If the center’s construction stays on schedule, the planned two-screen, 100-seats-per-screen Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema will serve as an official screening venue during the nationally lauded Birmingham festival.

“We are three months out from our open-and-operational deadline,” Edgar Marx Jr., capital campaign chair, outlined. “It is paramount that the Birmingham and Central Alabama community come together to take what will be a pivotal community asset across the funding finish line.”

In addition to use during the Sidewalk Film Festival, the Film Center + Cinema will screen films daily and will provide in-house education in technology and film — enhancing the revitalization to Birmingham’s downtown and adding to city residents’ quality of life.

“Supporting this campaign isn’t about a one-week festival, rather it is support for a better, brighter Birmingham for all of us,” Cook concluded. “This center will be an icon of immense pride and a key attraction for residents of and visitors to the Magic City alike.”

You can find more information here and donate here.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn