The Sidewalk Film Festival has announced its first nine movies for 2022 and “The Integrity of Joseph Chambers” is on the list.
The new film, which stars Alabama native Clayne Crawford of “Lethal Weapon” fame, was filmed in his hometown of Clay in 2020. Crawford, 44, serves as one of the producers, as well.
Sidewalk also confirmed festival screenings of “A Walk With Joey,” a sports documentary with Alabama ties, plus “The Automat,” “Mija,” “The Thief Collector,” “The Sun Rises in the East,” “Peace in the Valley,” “Funny Pages” and “Good Girl Jane.”
More movies will be announced for the festival in the weeks to come. Sidewalk, in its 24th year, is set for Aug. 24-28 at several venues in downtown Birmingham, including the Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema.
Here’s a look at the first batch of films on the agenda:
“THE INTEGRITY OF JOSEPH CHAMBERS”
Sidewalk says: “Director Robert Machoian and Alabama’s own Clayne Crawford last collaborated on ‘The Killing of Two Lovers’; their latest, shot in Alabama, is another deeply tense thriller about modern masculinity gone awry. Crawford plays the title character, a man fearful of imminent societal collapse who seeks to prove he can make it on his own during a hunting trip. But when things go terribly wrong, Joseph Chambers has to prove his mettle in unexpected ways.”
The cast includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan of “The Walking Dead,” Michael Raymond-James of “True Blood” and “Once Upon a Time,” Jordana Brewster, who appeared with Crawford in the “Lethal Weapon” TV series, and Crawford’s sons, Colt and Hix. “The Integrity of Joseph Chambers” made its debut on June 9 at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.
RELATED: Clayne Crawford’s new hunting movie was filmed in Alabama
“A WALK WITH JOEY”
Sidewalk says: “Joey Hale survived a brain tumor at a very young age and defied all odds to mount a recovery, thanks to some needed inspiration from his beloved football team the San Diego Chargers and a close friendship with former Auburn player Lionel ‘Little Train’ James. Now Joey pays it forward to others all around the Birmingham area and beyond, bringing smiles to his customers at Publix and ministry and charity to those less fortunate. ‘A Walk With Joey’ is a fond portrait of a true Alabama original whose life has touched thousands.”
The documentary was directed by Dana Lynn Falletta and J. Neil Bloomer. Watch the trailer here.
“THE AUTOMAT”
Sidewalk says: “‘The Automat’ is a fond remembrance of Horn & Hardart, a more than 100-year-old chain of popular fast food restaurants at which customers would select a menu item from rows of coin-operated windowed compartments and eat their meals at communal tables. For generations, these restaurants were New York fixtures; this documentary interviews many of its most famous former customers, including iconic comedian Mel Brooks and the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”
The documentary was directed by Lisa Hurwitz.
“MIJA”
Sidewalk says: “This remarkable documentary from Disney and Nat Geo follows Doris Muñoz, a young Mexican-American woman working as a music talent manager for a hot new artist and providing a key source of income for her undocumented parents and her brother, who has been deported. But as circumstances force her business to evolve, she meets Jacks Haupt, another hungry young artist from a mixed-status family for whom making it in show business isn’t just a dream — it’s a necessity. Part confessional, part crowd-pleaser, ‘Mija’ shines a light on these first-generation Americans hustling to make it big and give their families a ticket to a better life.”
The documentary was directed by Isabel Castro.
“THE THIEF COLLECTOR”
Sidewalk says: “In 1985, a priceless painting was cut from its frame at the University of Arizona Museum of Art and stolen in broad daylight. It resurfaced 32 years later — but you wouldn’t believe me if I told you where it was found. ‘The Thief Collector’ tells the unbelievable story of a heist with the unlikeliest of perpetrators, examining the complicated motives of its audacious criminals with bubbly flair in a film everyone will be talking about.”
The documentary was directed by Allison Otto.
“THE SUN RISES IN THE EAST”
Sidewalk says: “In 1969 in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, prominent Black activists and educators founded The East, a pan-African cultural organization established to enrich the lives of children and promote Black self-determination. This documentary tells its story, as The East grew to include a school, publisher, clothing shop and bookstore — and changed the lives of parents and students alike by giving a neighborhood the tools it needed for empowerment.”
The documentary was directed by Tayo Giwa.
“PEACE IN THE VALLEY”
Sidewalk says: “A young mother is suddenly widowed when her husband is killed in an act of heroism during a mass shooting incident. The wrenching (and unfortunately constantly) timely drama ‘Peace in the Valley’ focuses on the aftermath, as the family struggles to rebuild their lives. Anchored by an excellent lead performance from Brit Shaw and Sidewalk fixture Michael Abbott Jr. in a dual role, this sensitive work tries to find meaning in the violent meaninglessness of the new American normal.”
The narrative feature was directed by Tyler Riggs.
“FUNNY PAGES”
Sidewalk says: “A young cartoonist drops out of school to make it on his own in the seedy margins of Trenton, New Jersey, in this dark comedy from A24 and producers Josh and Benny Safdie. The directorial debut of actor Owen Kline, ‘Funny Pages’ is a grimy and gleefully tasteless look at a subculture of comic book-obsessed young men.”
“GOOD GIRL JANE”
Sidewalk says: “A lonely teenage girl falls in with the wrong crowd in this stunning debut feature from Sarah Elizabeth Mintz. Rain Spencer stars as the title character, who meets a group of trendy friends and starts experimenting with drugs in the aftermath of her parents’ divorce. But Jane soon falls under the sway of a charming older man — and things spiral out of control. You may think you know this story, but you’ve never seen it done quite this well. ‘Good Girl Jane’ won Best Narrative Film and Best Performance for Spencer at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.”
The Sidewalk festival typically includes an opening night film on Friday, plus two full days of screenings on Saturday and Sunday. Earlier in the week, a handful of “Spotlight” films get screenings at the Sidewalk cinema, 1821 Second Ave. North, on the lower level of the Pizitz building.
Tickets for Sidewalk 2022 are on sale via the festival website, priced at $75 for a weekend pass (Aug. 26-28), $220 VIP (Aug. 26-28). Day passes are $30 for Aug. 26-28. Tickets for a single film are $15. Tickets to Spotlight Films (Aug. 22-25), are $15.
Ticket prices typically increase as the festival dates get closer.
