Larry Fried. (Photo Courtesy of Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media)
Larry Fried hasn’t been at Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media very long. In fact, it’s only been two weeks since he stepped into the role of program director. But he already has a keen understanding of the direction that the organization needs to go as it enters its 45th season — and the direction it will go.
“We are interested in bold and innovative films. And on the flip side of this, not only are we focused on feature films and short films, but we are also planning to incorporate new media into our festival,” he said. “That includes things like AI, augmented reality, graphic novels, music videos and other storytelling mediums that do not necessarily fall strictly under the film banner.”
This represents the marked change that Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media has undergone since starting out as a traditional Jewish film festival in the early ’80s. Back then, you’d buy your popcorn and settle in for a 120-minute feature film on the silver screen. Today, you might be checking out social media content from a Jewish influencer.
“[We] want to spotlight Jewish storytellers and Jewish stories that aren’t in more conventional film frameworks. And so when I’m speaking about bold, innovative storytelling, I’m also speaking about directly engaging with that new media within our festival environment,” Fried said.
This new approach comes after a rebrand in 2021 that saw the Gershman Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival transform into Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media. The company wants to be more than just an annual event that shows movies; it aims to be a home for Jewish storytelling of all types, for Philadelphia and beyond.
A past PJFM event. (Photo Courtesy of Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media)
“We’re in a moment right now where everyone’s attention is constantly being fought for by different groups and different types of media. We’ve gone to this point where the idea of experiencing a film has changed greatly from when this festival started,” Fried said. “With at-home streaming, video-on-demand, even with social media — where people are experiencing movies in 23-part TikTok clips — we’re in this period where you can often feel like a filmmaker’s art and the way in which they intended [the film] to be seen is not the primary way in which it’s being experienced.”
Make no mistake, though: Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media is still centered around their events, the next of which is coming in September. Today, you can get a subscription box at home for your groceries, medicine, clothing and more. Fried thinks that, as a society, we are in desperate need of the personal touch that comes from being in a room with other people, enjoying something together.
“I think that people are really starting to feel inundated with all of these huge tech corporations, all these huge billionaire-funded companies,” he said. “It’s just becoming monotonous — all the ads, all the social media, all of the inflammatory things that they’re reading every day. It’s troubling. I think people are really starting to crave that in-person experience.”
For Fried, it all comes back to the transformative power of media and storytelling. There is something special to be said for sitting back and enjoying the creation of someone else. Whether that media takes the form of a 15-second video on your phone or a 90-minute film on the big screen, it’s important to the team at Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media that the artist’s vision is honored to the fullest extent.
“I am a big proponent and believer that film is a life-affirming and life-changing art form, and in order to experience it in that way, the artist’s intention needs to be upheld in every way possible,” he said. “So in my personal view, when you are pushing bold, innovative storytellers who are trying new things in the world of film and visual storytelling, you’re really collaborating with them to present it in the way that they intend for it to be seen. I think people are really going to respond to that.”
While it’s only been a few weeks with Fried as the head of programming at PJFM, the team has been working hard to fill out the calendar and will be ready soon to tease a new list of events in addition to the ones that their fans have grown to love over the past four-plus decades.
“I think you’ll see that once we start unveiling the programming that we have planned, it’s more than just the film and media festival,” he said. “There’s all kinds of different add-ons and events and things that we’re going to present to make this really a community event, a place to come together, not just a place to sit down and watch films and leave.”