(JTA) – It’s only a matter of time: a Jewish Netflix arrived.
The nickname is probably the most productive description of ChaiFlicks, a film and television streaming platform targeting Jewish-themed videos to be released Wednesday. It’s helping that its creators have already done business with genuine Netflix.
Neil Friedman, founder of the Jewish distribution company Menemsha Films, said he sold two films to Netflix: the 2015 bakery drama “Dough” and the 2016 Israeli film “The Women’s Balcony.” But since then, Netflix has had its original offerings.
In 2017, when Netflix released the film the founders were distributing, “1945,” a rare Hungarian production of the effects of the Holocaust, the concept of ChaiFlicks began.
“We learned right away that if we wanted to stream our movies on an [on-demand video subscription] channel, we had to create our own channel,” Friedman said.
The service was previously unveiled earlier this year in a beta edition for subscribers to the Menemsha Films mailing list, spokesman Gary Springer said. But on Wednesday, the service will be officially open to everyone with a value of $5.99 depending on the month, or $65.99 depending on the year. ChaiFlicks also offers a 14-day one-day) drop-off test.
It is presented with more than 150 titles, adding feature films, documentaries, short films and other entertainments, all on the Jewish or Israeli theme. Although it doesn’t have as much content, ChaiFlicks also offers anything that the newest and most vital stream like HBO Max and Peacock doesn’t have: it’s available on all major streaming platforms, adding Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV, too. iOS and Android mobile devices, plus a desktop version. The generation of the site is fed through the Vimeo video platform.
“We had no disorders with Roku or Amazon,” Friedman said. “We are a small niche transmission service that has its benefits to affect the pre-existing ecosystem in the VOD and transmission worlds.”
The diversity of ChaiFlicks includes first “Natasha”, “A House on the Beach: the Jewish Chicken Breeders of Petaluma”, “Holy Land”, “In Search of Israeli Cuisine”, “On the Way Home: The History of Israel”. Team, “The Show “Soon By You” and other titles that may be familiar to those who stick to the Jewish film festival circuit.” Shekinah: The Intimate Life of Hasidic Women and “Bulgarian Rhapsody” are among the titles that will come to service in the week following the launch.
“We introduced ChaiFlicks … as soon as the pandemic hit in March, because we had the credit of having 80 Jewish and Israeli titles,” Friedman said. “Since then, still in beta for the chain, we have purchased third-party products for ChaiFlicks as to date we have 150 titles for ChaiFlicks only.”
As the service continues to win third-component programs, Friedman said, he and his two co-founders expect Menemsha titles for a minimal component of ChaiFlicks presentations. These co-founders are Heidi Oshin, staff member of Menemsha Films, and Bill Weiner, who once worked for the now giant production company Regency Enterprises.
Friedman estimated the service will charge about 3 new ones per week.
Categories include comedy, theater, documentaries, food, music, sports, LGBTQ stories, short films, “The American Federation of Sephardic Gifts…” and express categories for individual countries and regions, including Israel, Europe, France and South America.
According to Springer’s spokesman, a partnership with the Jewish Women’s Theatre in Santa Monica, California, and deals with some Israeli film are also underway.
Finally, there will be content that will premiere on ChaiFlicks, basically special occasions for the live debut.
“We’ll have to provide this surprise”-factor “to subscribers with premieres on ChaiFlicks,” Friedman said. “However, for the time being, we must maintain the window sequence to disrupt existing relationships in the first 4 stages of publication.”
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