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Larry Fried. (Photo Courtesy of Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media)<\/p>\n Larry Fried. (Photo Courtesy of Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media)<\/p>\n
Larry Fried hasn\u2019t been at Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media very long. In fact, it\u2019s 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 \u2014 and the direction it will go.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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,\u201d he said. \u201cThat includes things like AI, augmented reality, graphic novels, music videos and other storytelling mediums that do not necessarily fall strictly under the film banner.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 \u201980s. Back then, you\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n
\u201c[We] want to spotlight Jewish storytellers and Jewish stories that aren\u2019t in more conventional film frameworks. And so when I\u2019m speaking about bold, innovative storytelling, I\u2019m also speaking about directly engaging with that new media within our festival environment,\u201d Fried said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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A past PJFM event. (Photo Courtesy of Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media)<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in a moment right now where everyone\u2019s attention is constantly being fought for by different groups and different types of media. We\u2019ve gone to this point where the idea of experiencing a film has changed greatly from when this festival started,\u201d Fried said. \u201cWith at-home streaming, video-on-demand, even with social media \u2014 where people are experiencing movies in 23-part TikTok clips \u2014 we\u2019re in this period where you can often feel like a filmmaker\u2019s art and the way in which they intended [the film] to be seen is not the primary way in which it\u2019s being experienced.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that people are really starting to feel inundated with all of these huge tech corporations, all these huge billionaire-funded companies,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just becoming monotonous \u2014 all the ads, all the social media, all of the inflammatory things that they\u2019re reading every day. It\u2019s troubling. I think people are really starting to crave that in-person experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019s important to the team at Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media that the artist\u2019s vision is honored to the fullest extent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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\u2019s intention needs to be upheld in every way possible,\u201d he said. \u201cSo 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\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you\u2019ll see that once we start unveiling the programming that we have planned, it\u2019s more than just the film and media festival,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s all kinds of different add-ons and events and things that we\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n