Description

Lights, Camera, Innovation: Building Alabama's Creative Economy

Alabama's film industry is on the rise — and the people building it are as varied as the stories they tell. This TechBirmingham × Sidewalk Film Festival lunch-and-learn brings together voices spanning the creative ecosystem: from award-winning commercial and broadcast production for national brands, to grassroots filmmaker development, to documentary storytelling preserving overlooked Southern history.

Together, they'll dig into what it takes to build a sustainable creative industry here — talent pipelines, the technology reshaping how films get made, and the infrastructure required to keep momentum going.

Moderated by Sidewalk's own Jessica Chriesman, a leader in film education and audience engagement, this conversation is for anyone curious about where creative talent, workforce development, and innovation intersect in Alabama's fastest-growing industry.

Panel:

Kristin Dober: 

For over fifteen years, Kristin has successfully produced all types and sizes of productions, including independent films, national broadcast commercials, documentaries, photography, digital & social video content, music videos, unscripted television, 2D and 3D animation, motion graphics, and experiential installations.

She consistently creates award-winning work across a variety of industries for clients like Google Fiber, Coca-Cola, DoorDash, Twitter, Valvoline and Southern Company. She has been recognized by the American Advertising Awards for multiple years at the national level for creative excellence in production and her films have screened at festivals around the world.

She is deeply dedicated to empowering passionate, creative individuals, believes in leading with intention, and endeavors to help production evolve as a collaborative and inclusive craft.

Lee Shook: Lee Shook serves as an Entertainment Office Specialist for the Alabama Entertainment Office in Montgomery, where he helps administer the state's film and music incentive programs. As part of the Department of Commerce, his work with the Alabama Entertainment Office entails both outreach and marketing to potential filmmakers, music producers and artists who are looking to make movies and albums in the state of Alabama. Prior to his role at the state office, he previously served as the Director of Film Birmingham as well as Jefferson County Film Strategist for Create Birmingham.

Theo Moore: Theo Moore is an award-winning filmmaker and historian dedicated to uncovering and preserving the untold stories of the American South. As the founder of Hiztorical Vision Productions and Theo the Hiztorian LLC, he creates films that amplify marginalized voices, honor cultural memory, and connect history to present-day movements in society.

A PBS Ignite Filmmaker, Moore’s work has been recognized nationally for its powerful storytelling and visual impact. His documentaries highlight pivotal yet often overlooked moments in Southern history, blending archival research, oral history, and cinematic artistry to bring the past to life for new generations.

His work has earned numerous honors within both the filmmaking and public history communities. Hiztorical Vision Productions received the Alabama Historical Association’s Robert G. Jakeman Digital History Award, recognizing excellence in using digital media to interpret and share history with the public. Moore was also the inaugural recipient of the David Brower Grant from Sidewalk Film Festival’s Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, supporting emerging filmmakers whose work demonstrates strong artistic vision and social impact.

Most recently, the YouTube series In the Margins, for which Moore produced and directed four episodes, was honored as an NAACP Image Award nominee and received several Telly Awards, further affirming his role as a leading voice in historical filmmaking.

Through his projects, Moore continues to use film as a tool for education, healing, and empowerment, ensuring that the legacies of resilience, struggle, and triumph across the South are preserved and shared with future generations.

Tyden Rickard: Tyden Rickard is a Birmingham-based creative director, filmmaker, and founder whose work spans storytelling, talent development, and creative infrastructure in Alabama.

He is the founder and executive director of AlabamaCreates, a statewide platform built to surface, equip, and showcase Alabama’s next generation of creative talent. Through pathways like Studio Cohort and Film Exchange, AlabamaCreates connects emerging creatives with professional training, mentorship, paid client projects, and opportunities to build work rooted in their own communities.

Through T. Rickard Productions, Tyden has produced brand, film, and digital work across 40+ countries, with clients such as NASA, Nike, Moleskine, and Virgil Abloh, generating more than 1.4 billion cumulative views across projects.

A native of Alabama, Tyden’s work is rooted in the belief that creative talent is not limited by zip code, and that the next wave of cultural, commercial, and technological innovation can be built from places like Birmingham.