Sidewalk Film Festival - 2019
Sidewalk this year was different, but I think better than the last. No Trey and Brennan this year, as they are no longer a couple since the spring. Still find myself reeling from the repercussions of that one. This year was just 2A and myself, on the 10th floor of the Redmont and a whole mess of movies, booze, rain, and snacks. The most significant improvement this year came about because we were able to bring both of our bicycles on the Saris rack. No more long ass walks between theater row and ASFA! The bicycles were such a huge help, I doubt we will ever do it again without them.
Here's the recap:
Friday: left the office at 1pm, loaded out, hit Target, and then a beeline for the HAM. Unloaded the goods into room 1004. Great view of 5th Avenue, which is my favorite side of the Redmont. Nested out in the room, then made a couple of prison bitches while we figured out the gameplan. Biked down to the Piz, checked in, grabbed a drink/app, and perused Yellowhammer. Then headed to the Alabama Theater for the festival opening film 'I Want My MTV'. VJ Alan Hunter was sitting in our row! So many great memories from this film. Afterwards, grabbed a drink and food at the Paramount, and then biked back to the Redmont for a drink on the rooftop. Woke up too early with a splitting headache and terrible diarrhea. That combo put the hurt on me for most of the next day.
Saturday: After a quick breakfast in the room, we headed over to First Church of BHAM for 'We Believe in Dinosaurs'. Then over to ASFA for some shorts'Docs: We're Complex'. That was probably the best round of shorts we saw all weekend. We missed a couple of shorts block due to over-capacity at ASFA and rain, but took the shuttle back to the Piz for an early dinner, and then hit Alabama Docs: 'Politics' in the new Sidewalk Theater. Then a hop over to the Alabama for 'The Death of Dick Long', with a container full of prison bitches. Finally, back over to ASFA for 'After Dark Shorts: Chapter 3'. (Butt Fantasia, anyone?). We were both spent after that, and headed back to the Redmont for sleep.
Sunday: This was a day full of features. Up before 9am and hit Family Dollar for some stomach meds. Our first movie today was the David Bazzan / Pedro the Lion music doc 'Strange Negotiations' (just loved it) at the Red Mountain Theater. Then over to the BHam Museum of Art for the doc 'Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project'. We spent a lot of time at BMA today. The Marc Marron film 'Sword of Trust' at ASFA. A quick food truck dinner afterwards, then walked back over to BMA for 'Mapplethore: Director's Cut' with Matt Smith. A drink at ASFA, then back to BMA for the Jeff Goldblum 'The Mountain' (artsy, beautiful, haunting.....but boring). Left BMA at 9pm with the rain coming down a bit. Biked to the Paramount for another dinner, played skee ball, pinball, and hoops with 2A. Biked over to the Collins Bar for a few cocktails (haven't been there since Year Two!). Closed down the Collins, then biked around the Railroad Park, and rain soaked downtown Ham for another hour or so being goofballs. Fell asleep in bed listening to Headphones and running my fingers through her hair.
Monday: In-room breakfast, then loaded out and hit a giant thrift store around Avondale. 2A found a Kindle for $7. Back on the road to ATL. Stopped for lunch at a mexican joint in downtown Pell City (cute and old). Arrived in ATL before traffic; had a nap, then dinner at Rocky Mountain pizza. Then it was over. Just like that. Another Sidewalk, and another summer.
Here's the recap:
Friday: left the office at 1pm, loaded out, hit Target, and then a beeline for the HAM. Unloaded the goods into room 1004. Great view of 5th Avenue, which is my favorite side of the Redmont. Nested out in the room, then made a couple of prison bitches while we figured out the gameplan. Biked down to the Piz, checked in, grabbed a drink/app, and perused Yellowhammer. Then headed to the Alabama Theater for the festival opening film 'I Want My MTV'. VJ Alan Hunter was sitting in our row! So many great memories from this film. Afterwards, grabbed a drink and food at the Paramount, and then biked back to the Redmont for a drink on the rooftop. Woke up too early with a splitting headache and terrible diarrhea. That combo put the hurt on me for most of the next day.
Saturday: After a quick breakfast in the room, we headed over to First Church of BHAM for 'We Believe in Dinosaurs'. Then over to ASFA for some shorts'Docs: We're Complex'. That was probably the best round of shorts we saw all weekend. We missed a couple of shorts block due to over-capacity at ASFA and rain, but took the shuttle back to the Piz for an early dinner, and then hit Alabama Docs: 'Politics' in the new Sidewalk Theater. Then a hop over to the Alabama for 'The Death of Dick Long', with a container full of prison bitches. Finally, back over to ASFA for 'After Dark Shorts: Chapter 3'. (Butt Fantasia, anyone?). We were both spent after that, and headed back to the Redmont for sleep.
Sunday: This was a day full of features. Up before 9am and hit Family Dollar for some stomach meds. Our first movie today was the David Bazzan / Pedro the Lion music doc 'Strange Negotiations' (just loved it) at the Red Mountain Theater. Then over to the BHam Museum of Art for the doc 'Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project'. We spent a lot of time at BMA today. The Marc Marron film 'Sword of Trust' at ASFA. A quick food truck dinner afterwards, then walked back over to BMA for 'Mapplethore: Director's Cut' with Matt Smith. A drink at ASFA, then back to BMA for the Jeff Goldblum 'The Mountain' (artsy, beautiful, haunting.....but boring). Left BMA at 9pm with the rain coming down a bit. Biked to the Paramount for another dinner, played skee ball, pinball, and hoops with 2A. Biked over to the Collins Bar for a few cocktails (haven't been there since Year Two!). Closed down the Collins, then biked around the Railroad Park, and rain soaked downtown Ham for another hour or so being goofballs. Fell asleep in bed listening to Headphones and running my fingers through her hair.
Monday: In-room breakfast, then loaded out and hit a giant thrift store around Avondale. 2A found a Kindle for $7. Back on the road to ATL. Stopped for lunch at a mexican joint in downtown Pell City (cute and old). Arrived in ATL before traffic; had a nap, then dinner at Rocky Mountain pizza. Then it was over. Just like that. Another Sidewalk, and another summer.