Sidewalk Film Festival Closing Night Film: My Friend Dahmer

My Friend Dahmer is the haunting, sad, funny, true story of Jeffrey Dahmer in high school, based on Derf Backderf‘s critically acclaimed 2012 graphic novel of the same name. Dahmer (Ross Lynch, Disney Channel’s Austin & Ally) is an awkward teenager who collects road kill. By the start of senior year, he acts out, throwing epileptic-like fits in the halls. His goofball antics unexpectedly win over a group of band-nerds who form The Dahmer Fan Club headed by Derf Backderf (Alex Wolff, Nickelodeon’s The Naked Brothers Band), but this camaraderie can’t mask his growing depravity. Approaching graduation Jeff spirals further out of control.

“My Friend Dahmer is not only engrossing and provocative, but is also a visually captivating time capsule,” said Rachel Morgan, Sidewalk’s creative director. “Former Disney Channel star Ross Lynch is surprisingly convincing as Dahmer in an impressive performance. It’s a perfect example of stellar film that Birmingham deserves to have a theatrical screening of and we’re thrilled and honored for it to close Sidewalk this year.”