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Jessica Chriesman

@jctellsstories

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🤓 Filmmaker & Edu Director at @sidewalkfilm
🎥 PHILOXENIA (Short Doc | Greek Food 🤝 Southern Hospitality)
📍BHM | Sharing Southern stories
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In my work with Continental Creative, I have put together an awesome panel of amazing people who can help answer all your questions. My goal is that you leave this panel with the information you need to apply and get funding for the art and creative projects you do! The panel is free and you can find the link in my bio. But please register so that I can get a headcount.
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Y'all really blew us away at @sidewalkfilm and @abasicshop - we couldn't be more grateful to share the film with all our loved ones in Birmingham. A line out the door to see @showmethelinefilm at The Lyric? Organizers and advocates in the lobby of the screening? A standing ovation and encore screening? Cast and crew reception at @alabamaartsalliance? An art opening and selfie booth at @abasicshop? Audience choice for best feature documentary? An unbelievably good time! Thank you for showing out and celebrating with the team! Special gratitude goes to our advocate supporters @ashleighforalabama and @moxichildcare for amplifying our work 🌻
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The 28th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival - Sunday - in Birmingham, Alabama. Photographed on August 30th, 2026. More photos can be found by going to the link in my profile, clicking on the “Photos” tab, and then clicking on “Events | Galleries” (If I didn’t tag you - it’s because I can only tag 20 accounts in a post) And, on a personal note, this was the 7th Sidewalk I photographed. This year was the best of those 7 years for so many different reasons. Everything just came together wonderfully. I want to thank my AMAZING AND INCREDIBLE team of photographers who covered the festival all week, the AMAZING AND INCREDIBLE team of volunteers who worked the festival all week, and the AMAZING AND INCREDIBLE professional staff at Sidewalk who worked ALL YEAR to put this festival together. I also want to thank all the great filmmakers who shared their art and creations with all of us, and I want to thank the fantastic guests we had all week. There were so many people that came to the festival this year, and it was wonderful seeing all the venues filled with people experiencing the films on display. The 28th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival has come to a close and yesterday felt like the last day of summer camp, but I’m already looking forward to doing all again next year at the 29th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival. Happy Sidewalk! @sidewalkfilm 📷 = Fujifilm X-T5 | @fujifilmx_us The Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham, Alabama
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Honored to sit on a panel in discussion about building our creative economy at the @sidewalkfilm festival this week. In awe of the filmmaking community in Birmingham. . . . #filmfestival #alabamafilm #filmmaker #producer
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The 28th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival - Black Lens Spotlight Day - in Birmingham, Alabama. Photographed on August 26th, 2026. More photos can be found by going to the link in my profile, clicking on the “Photos” tab, and then clicking on “Events | Galleries” @sidewalkfilm 📷 = Fujifilm X-T5 | @fujifilmx_us The Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham, Alabama
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@sidewalkfilm Fest is known for amazing films and energizing parties, but we have a serious side, too. Starting Tuesday, August 25, we have a slate of workshops, classes, and panels for those interested in the filmmaking craft. Covering topics from pitching ideas to honing your craft to making a living in the industry, check out the topics and drop by. Some events require a special ticket or reservation. Check out the full schedule for details. Many kudos to @jctellsstories for organizing this great educational lineup. #birmingham #film #education #sidewalk28 alabamA
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For Juneteenth, @splcenter tapped Birmingham filmmaker @jctellsstories to lead the Alabama chapter of Liberation Season: An Emancipation Day, a new docuseries examining how emancipation unfolded across the South. Jessica’s six-minute film, Alabama Emancipated, centers Montgomery’s 160-year history of celebrating Emancipation Day, dating back to January 1, 1866, while placing that tradition within Alabama’s larger emancipation story. She built the film around two Montgomery historians. One speaks to emancipation across Alabama, while the other focuses on Montgomery and the history held there. The film’s visual record comes largely from archival material sourced through the Library of Congress, New York Public Library, Wikimedia, and the WSFA collection at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Six minutes of history, assembled by an Alabama filmmaker and grounded in the people and records that preserved it. Watch Alabama Emancipated through @splcenter #alabamacreates
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This is the video that opened Transmission 001. A reminder that Alabama’s story is still being written, and the next chapter belongs to the people building, filming, designing, writing, producing, and imagining from here. Alabama has always had the talent - now we build around it. Studio Cohort applications are open now in bio. #alabamacreates
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Excited to announce the regional inspiration and filmmaking powerhouse that is @aresitacoxfilm is teaching a class on creating social change through film in 2026 at Duke in collaboration with our friends @cdsduke Resita's recent discussions on southern storytelling, following ethical practices in documentation, and the importance of mental health during production was a favorite for our membership! ABOUT THE CLASS: This hands-on course explores how independent filmmakers can leverage documentary storytelling to create lasting community impact amid an evolving industry landscape. Through case studies, screenings, and collaborative project work, students learn to design impact strategies, engage affected communities, and build partnerships with nonprofits, advocates, and local stakeholders. ABOUT RESITA: Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Resita Cox (b. 1994) creates poetic portrayals of her community’s resilience against racism. Her films center Southern Black communities and use intimate narratives to explore environmental justice and hidden Black histories. Her debut film Freedom Hill premiered nationally on PBS in 2024. Cox is a Hulu/Kartemquin Accelerator Fellow, North Star Fellow, 2024 Rockwood Documentary Leaders Fellow (Ford Foundation), a 2025 Chicken & Egg Eggcelerator Fellow, and a 2024/2025 Grounded Possibilities Environmental Justice Fellow. She holds an MFA from Northwestern University and was named an Esteemed Artist by the City of Chicago in 2022. REGISTER HERE AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS https://rsvp.duke.edu/eWqXKP
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Meet the Film Jurors 🎥 ARTSassist is the only unrestricted individual artist grant program in Shelby County, and these out-of-market jurors, recruited by our ARTSmemphis Artist Advisory Committee, ultimately determined our local grant recipients for this second round of funding. Help us thank them for their time, diligence, and appreciation for our local arts sector! Jessica Chriesman, Director of Education & Outreach, Sidewalk Film Center, Birmingham, AL Shayana Filmore, Film Programmer, Brooklyn, NY Wi-Moto Nyoka, Horror & Sci-Fi Writer/Filmmaker, Philadelphia, PA
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August was a busy month, but I didn’t want to miss the chance to share — Outdoor School won Best Black Lens Feature Film at the Sidewalk Film Festival last month! This recognition is bigger than the film — it’s about a Portland Black community story being seen and celebrated across the nation. Grateful to the Sidewalk team, the jury, and most of all, the cast, crew, and community who poured their hearts into bringing this story forward. Together, we’re telling stories that travel. 🙏🏾✨ #SidewalkFilmFestival #OutdoorSchoolMovie #BlackLens #IndieFilm #AwardWinner #PortlandStories #mothstories
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✨That’s a wrap!✨ • • Just like that, the 27th SIDEWALK Film Festival is in the books. This year I managed to catch 13 films, party in the streets, and soak up ALL the fun! A huge THANK YOU to the incredible staff + volunteers who pulled off one of my Top 3 favorite Sidewalks ever, even in the face of NEA funding cuts at the 11th hour. Your work and vision made this year unforgettable. And an extra special shoutout to our VAL Group Partner, Realty South Relocation, for sponsoring the Thursday night Black Lens film Paint Me a Road Out of Here, featuring the legendary Faith Ringgold. It was such a full-circle moment to be connected again to an artist I was honored to work with during my time at the Allentown Art Museum. • I LOVE THIS CITY! #sidewalkfilmfestival #birminghamalabama
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