WEBVTT - Schmoozing with Chaiflicks CEO Neil Friedman About His First Original Series 0:00:08.039 --> 0:00:11.520 Welcome to another episode of Strictly Business, the podcast in 0:00:11.560 --> 0:00:14.000 which we speak with some of the brightest minds working 0:00:14.040 --> 0:00:18.599 in the media business today. I'm Andrew Wallenstein with Variety. 0:00:19.360 --> 0:00:23.760 When a streaming service has a brand spelled c hai 0:00:24.560 --> 0:00:29.520 fl i cks, some might pronounce it as chai flex, 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:33.320 which might be movies for I don't know lovers of 0:00:33.520 --> 0:00:37.680 flavored tea, but if you're Jewish, you're likely to pronounce 0:00:37.720 --> 0:00:42.640 the brand Kai flex, Kai being the Hebrew word for life, 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:46.879 and today's guest breathed life into this streaming service for 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:50.880 is rally and Jewish themed movies, TV shows and docs 0:00:51.000 --> 0:00:55.800 nearly three years ago. Now Hi Flix founder Neil Friedman 0:00:56.000 --> 0:00:59.280 is ready to embark on the next big step, the 0:00:59.360 --> 0:01:03.400 brand's first original series. We'll be back with him after 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:03.880 the break. 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:12.800 We are back with. 0:01:12.840 --> 0:01:19.199 Neil Friedman, CEO and founder of the streaming service high Flix. So, Neil, 0:01:19.319 --> 0:01:22.840 for starters, I'd be remiss in not asking you about 0:01:23.120 --> 0:01:27.440 how the recent tragedy in Israel, how that colors this 0:01:27.560 --> 0:01:32.479 strategy for high Flicks going forward. Certainly it must cast 0:01:32.959 --> 0:01:37.360 quite a shadow over your streaming service and its place 0:01:37.480 --> 0:01:38.640 in the market right now. 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:43.000 It does in the short run, I think it's we 0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:49.640 had to readjust ourselves immediately to the advertising and social 0:01:49.720 --> 0:01:53.160 media that we're doing. We press pause right away. We 0:01:53.280 --> 0:01:56.800 didn't want to be taking advantage of, you know, the 0:01:56.960 --> 0:02:01.120 attention of what was going on. We wanted to be 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:07.120 low key and be out of the way. We're storytelling service. 0:02:08.840 --> 0:02:13.919 I will say that even without promoting and spending advertising 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:18.520 or social media money, our subscribers sent a message to 0:02:18.600 --> 0:02:23.520 us by viewing almost in eighty ninety percent of their 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:28.680 viewership was of the Israeli programming since the conflict started. 0:02:30.080 --> 0:02:32.040 But I just want to add one other thing to 0:02:32.080 --> 0:02:35.919 that is that you know, we still are a Jewish 0:02:36.000 --> 0:02:41.839 storytelling service for Jewish stories from all over from all 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:47.760 over the world, Israel included. And I think it's to 0:02:47.800 --> 0:02:51.840 be honest, to be frank, okay, our mission is more 0:02:51.840 --> 0:02:57.720 important now than ever because you know, Jewish culture, Jewish 0:02:58.400 --> 0:03:02.400 history is more precious as a result of this. 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:07.400 Conflict, I understand. And also so when and where did 0:03:07.520 --> 0:03:08.960 hi Flix get its start. 0:03:09.840 --> 0:03:15.079 We started in the United States and Canada in August 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:19.720 of twenty twenty with forty titles we had from our 0:03:19.720 --> 0:03:24.560 film distribution company. In February of twenty and twenty one 0:03:25.280 --> 0:03:28.560 we made a deal or arrangement with an Australian distribution 0:03:28.720 --> 0:03:31.880 company that became our partner in Australia and New Zealand. 0:03:32.000 --> 0:03:35.440 So we expanded from the US and Canada to Australia 0:03:35.520 --> 0:03:40.000 New Zealand, and three months ago we expanded into the UK. 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:43.640 So we're in five of the English speaking territories around 0:03:43.680 --> 0:03:45.320 the world. I guess. The only one that we're not 0:03:45.640 --> 0:03:49.280 included in that category of South Africa, which you know 0:03:49.320 --> 0:03:51.520 we probably will go back and do so. 0:03:51.760 --> 0:03:54.520 And do you have plans beyond those five? 0:03:54.720 --> 0:03:59.680 Yes, we do. We have plans to expand in Europe 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:02.480 and Latin America as well. 0:04:02.720 --> 0:04:07.240 And at this point, can you say how many subscribers 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:07.960 you guys have. 0:04:09.240 --> 0:04:14.960 We have had an amazing run over the last three years, Andrew, 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:20.200 we have surpassed our goals on subscriber levels at every 0:04:20.240 --> 0:04:24.599 step of the way. We have been happily surprised about 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:27.880 the excitement and the depth of interest in this channel. 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:33.159 Part of the storyline of our growth and expanding into 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:36.800 the UK, for instance, lately, has come from the interest 0:04:37.240 --> 0:04:42.240 from outside, not us seeking that territory, but getting emails 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:47.440 and letters even from the UK asking us to expand 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:50.920 into the UK. We are very happy with our subscriber 0:04:51.120 --> 0:04:54.839 growth to date. We are a successful company and the 0:04:54.960 --> 0:04:56.000 future is really bright. 0:04:56.360 --> 0:04:58.479 Okay, so I take it. I'm not going to get 0:04:58.560 --> 0:05:01.280 an exact number out of you, but let me ask 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:05.520 you this, is there a Jewish market that you have 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:10.279 sized up globally? Is there a target number you're going after. 0:05:11.600 --> 0:05:16.440 I have been involved in the Jewish space for twenty 0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:20.600 years now from the film distribution company that I was 0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:23.880 involved in that I'm still involved with. This is not 0:05:24.000 --> 0:05:27.960 a new exploration for me to extend into the Jewish space. 0:05:28.560 --> 0:05:32.360 Over those twenty years, have developed expertise in the Jewish space. 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:37.000 We've handled films not only for North America but for worldwide. 0:05:38.360 --> 0:05:42.840 And this is what I focused on in my career 0:05:44.120 --> 0:05:47.800 since I since nineteen ninety eight when I started the 0:05:47.880 --> 0:05:52.279 start the film distribution company, I've focused on just one area, 0:05:52.440 --> 0:05:58.120 built up my expertise and therefore I'm walking into high Flix. 0:05:58.200 --> 0:06:03.800 When we started high Flix with a whole group, long 0:06:03.880 --> 0:06:08.760 list of relationships, trust, expertise. Know how that is I 0:06:08.760 --> 0:06:13.640 think unique to us and what we had done over 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:17.039 that period is released two hundred and fifty Jewish themed films, 0:06:17.560 --> 0:06:21.479 which is an incredible amount of films, and we built 0:06:21.560 --> 0:06:25.200 up that expertise from distribution of those films and during 0:06:25.240 --> 0:06:29.320 the course of that film distribution company's life prior to 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:32.880 kay Flicks, we started to get into a TV series 0:06:32.960 --> 0:06:35.880 world because we were asked by an Israeli network to 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:40.239 release three TVs Israeli TV series through the Jewish Film 0:06:40.240 --> 0:06:45.680 Festival circuit in North America. And that was dipping our 0:06:45.720 --> 0:06:48.719 toe in the in the series of the TV world 0:06:51.640 --> 0:06:56.159 when we in the past, so we were from that 0:06:56.279 --> 0:07:01.520 experience and that new area for us right then and 0:07:01.600 --> 0:07:05.719 there we decided that we were going to develop into 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:09.080 a streaming service, and we had put together business plans 0:07:09.560 --> 0:07:14.320 after that experience, and we were ready to go, and 0:07:14.360 --> 0:07:18.280 then the pandemic happened, and then we decided that there's 0:07:18.320 --> 0:07:21.240 no reason to delay to a date later and we 0:07:21.280 --> 0:07:23.480 went the first week of the pandemic. We were all 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:25.360 set ready to go. 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:31.400 Makes sense. And so you're basically describing your background at 0:07:31.760 --> 0:07:38.840 Minemsha Films, and obviously clearly this experience establishes can't think 0:07:38.840 --> 0:07:43.240 of a better person to get into this marketplace given 0:07:43.280 --> 0:07:46.240 your background. But I still want to understand how big 0:07:46.560 --> 0:07:49.400 is this global market that we're talking about. 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:53.520 We're talking about the streaming world right so, and the 0:07:53.520 --> 0:07:56.600 world has changed. So we're not talking about distribution into 0:07:56.640 --> 0:08:01.880 North American cinemas, and we're not talking about out limited access. 0:08:01.880 --> 0:08:07.560 We're talking about home availability of programming. So there's a 0:08:07.560 --> 0:08:10.360 couple there's a lot to talk about here. First of all, 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:13.920 there's an incredible amount of programming that's available that was 0:08:14.200 --> 0:08:19.560 that we found, that's available, that has been untapped. And 0:08:20.400 --> 0:08:25.520 even though others had acquired other Jewish or Israeli series 0:08:25.560 --> 0:08:29.000 that people know about, we found out that there was 0:08:29.560 --> 0:08:34.240 ninety five percent of the terrific available programs were not 0:08:34.720 --> 0:08:39.840 acquired and not available. So we when we started, we 0:08:39.920 --> 0:08:43.680 started with forty minemsha titles that were Jewish theme. We 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:46.320 had that advantage. That's how we that's how we're able 0:08:46.360 --> 0:08:49.280 to pivot right into the once the pandemic hit, the 0:08:49.320 --> 0:08:54.800 start conflicts right away. But what we also did is 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:59.239 once the pandemic started and we no long could distribute 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:02.120 our film district Bausch And Companies films in theaters because 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:05.960 theaters were closed and film festivals were closed, we spent 0:09:06.080 --> 0:09:10.320 that time immediately into pursuing more of the TV world 0:09:10.480 --> 0:09:15.360 and the other programming world of Israeli Jewish. I'm going 0:09:15.400 --> 0:09:17.280 to make that. I'm going to go over that again. 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:20.400 We are Jewish streaming service, and I want everybody to 0:09:20.480 --> 0:09:24.240 understand that much of the programming Israeli, but we are 0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:29.040 worldwide Jewish streaming service. So the first acquisition we made 0:09:29.480 --> 0:09:32.839 for Jewish streaming service is a show called The New 0:09:32.880 --> 0:09:36.800 Black or in Hebrew Shabbat ni Kim, which we now 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:41.400 have two years, two series, two seasons on the channel, 0:09:41.520 --> 0:09:48.240 and it's one of the most successful series that we have. Yeah, 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:50.960 and mine as well. And this is a series I 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:54.280 will say that could be on any streaming service. And 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:57.680 I think when I was referring to our expertise that 0:09:57.760 --> 0:10:00.000 we grew over those twenty years of being a film 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:03.200 distribution company, part of the reason that we ended up 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.280 with a quality program like The New Black was based 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:11.000 on that experience, and we've taken that experience and continued 0:10:11.559 --> 0:10:15.760 to grow that experience. We quickly after acquiring The New Black, 0:10:15.800 --> 0:10:19.480 which was our first television series, which really got us 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:23.760 going right away because everybody loved it, we made a 0:10:23.800 --> 0:10:27.360 three series deal with one of the premiere Israeli television 0:10:27.400 --> 0:10:32.240 networks called Yes Studios. So in the first eight to 0:10:32.280 --> 0:10:36.080 ten months of the company we already had. We were 0:10:36.120 --> 0:10:38.440 off to the races as far as TV was concerned, 0:10:39.040 --> 0:10:43.199 and we've only expanded into other areas of programming. We 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:47.320 now have thirty five TV series on the channel, not 0:10:47.480 --> 0:10:51.120 all Israeli. We have a wonderful Swiss series, we have 0:10:51.160 --> 0:10:54.600 a wonderful polar series, and you will see series from 0:10:54.600 --> 0:10:58.000 all over the world. But I want to emphasize something. 0:10:58.160 --> 0:11:01.079 There's something in the water in Israel. How So, the 0:11:01.200 --> 0:11:05.120 quality of the of the creative pool there is absolutely 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:09.360 unique and specific to that country. Whatever way you want 0:11:09.360 --> 0:11:13.560 to analyze it, pound for pound, it is no question 0:11:14.240 --> 0:11:18.679 the best talented TV pool in the world. Well it's clear. 0:11:18.720 --> 0:11:22.600 I mean you look at the track record that that 0:11:22.760 --> 0:11:28.240 country has had in terms of exporting those shows, whether 0:11:28.559 --> 0:11:32.040 it's the shows themselves or the formats. I think people 0:11:32.040 --> 0:11:36.559 don't even in this country realize how some of not 0:11:36.640 --> 0:11:40.160 necessarily the biggest shows, but some very successful shows in 0:11:40.200 --> 0:11:44.200 this in the US are based on Israeli formats. 0:11:45.240 --> 0:11:51.320 Israel revolutionized the television business because they exported formats. Yeah so, 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:56.040 and many of this reel companies have Los Angeles offices 0:11:56.080 --> 0:12:01.120 now because they're really Hollywood players. So that just speaks 0:12:01.120 --> 0:12:03.360 to the ingenuity from the business side of what they 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:08.079 were doing, but it also speaks to the exceptional quality 0:12:08.120 --> 0:12:09.600 of the programming that was created. 0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:13.680 Now, what I would also think bodes well for your service. 0:12:13.760 --> 0:12:14.640 I mean you. 0:12:14.800 --> 0:12:19.840 Cited earlier, obviously the pandemic was probably a real accelerant 0:12:20.200 --> 0:12:24.320 for high Flix. You know, maybe the stuff the movies 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:27.600 that people would have gone to theaters for now they 0:12:27.640 --> 0:12:29.560 were going to be willing to watch at home while 0:12:29.559 --> 0:12:32.160 they were sheltered at home. But what I would also 0:12:32.360 --> 0:12:38.040 argue was the success of shows like Fouda and Shtistle 0:12:38.440 --> 0:12:45.120 on Netflix probably really opened up the appetites for Israeli 0:12:45.360 --> 0:12:50.040 type shows for your service, would you say that was 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:51.800 also a big factor. 0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:55.240 No question about it. What I want to emphasize there 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:58.400 is those shows are not just There's the viewership is 0:12:58.440 --> 0:13:01.480 not just Jewish, right, because of the quality of those shows, 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:04.360 we see the world the same way. And the other 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:07.520 thing that I want to emphasize here is those two 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:10.120 shows that you just mentioned are just the tip of 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:14.360 the iceberg. How So, there are fifty shows of that 0:13:14.520 --> 0:13:18.840 quality that have been made in the Israeli television business. 0:13:19.080 --> 0:13:22.760 We've been lucky enough to get a certain amount of 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:27.079 those fifty and they've been very successful on our service, 0:13:27.160 --> 0:13:31.959 and we can continue to acquire and put those undiscovered gems, 0:13:32.040 --> 0:13:36.040 those hidden gems our on our channel. This is what 0:13:36.080 --> 0:13:42.160 we do. We're micro focused on the Jewish storytelling, and 0:13:42.440 --> 0:13:45.200 that gives us an advantage and a focus that other 0:13:45.240 --> 0:13:46.120 streamers don't have. 0:13:46.800 --> 0:13:49.440 Sure, although you know, here's the thing though, when I 0:13:49.760 --> 0:13:55.640 there's obviously a vast world of so called niche streamers 0:13:55.760 --> 0:13:58.120 or specialty streamers out there. 0:13:58.640 --> 0:13:59.880 But don't you think. 0:13:59.720 --> 0:14:02.680 All so that when people think of the Netflixes of 0:14:02.679 --> 0:14:05.360 the world, the Amazons, the you know, the the big 0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:10.640 Kahunas out there, that because there's such a vast amount 0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:15.679 of programming on those services, that they've come to expect 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:20.880 that the kind of libraries that a that a high 0:14:20.880 --> 0:14:26.280 Flix has could be on those premium services instead of 0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:28.400 on a niche player like yourself. 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:32.400 I don't think so, why, because I think that we're 0:14:32.720 --> 0:14:35.760 The whole idea behind high Flix is one stop shopping 0:14:36.440 --> 0:14:40.200 for a certain kind of subscriber, Okay, that core Jewish 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:45.000 subscriber who who has a voracious and a very loyal 0:14:45.360 --> 0:14:51.480 attendance to viewing Jewish storytelling and what we've found with 0:14:51.640 --> 0:14:54.440 the series of successes that we've had, especially on the 0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:58.240 television side for us with Shabatanakeam, then with a series 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:00.760 called Unchained, which w has become a big hit, and 0:15:00.880 --> 0:15:04.440 very recently with a series called The Lesson that once 0:15:04.520 --> 0:15:09.160 these folks binge these series, they go out and look 0:15:09.200 --> 0:15:12.520 at the other eighteen hundred hours of programming that's available 0:15:12.520 --> 0:15:15.400 on high Flix and that's unique to high Flix. Now, 0:15:15.640 --> 0:15:18.040 eighteen hundred is just the begin is where we are. Now, 0:15:18.160 --> 0:15:21.680 We're going to grow and continue and build the quality 0:15:21.680 --> 0:15:25.320 programming on our channel and continue and continue and continue. 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:27.920 This is a life pursuit. This is not a this 0:15:27.960 --> 0:15:31.000 is not a pandemic pursuit on our part. We're building 0:15:31.040 --> 0:15:39.040 this channel for preservation of Jewish culture and the storytelling 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:43.520 that we'll that will that registers in the audience, Jewish 0:15:43.640 --> 0:15:46.480 or otherwise, will register in the word of mouth that 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:51.560 comes from people's viewing of this quality programming makes people 0:15:51.760 --> 0:15:55.320 want to watch more and come to high Flix more 0:15:55.480 --> 0:16:00.200 and tell others about the channel. We have tremendous word 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:04.760 of mouth, tremendous, whether it's rabbis at synagogues, whether it's 0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:11.680 Jewish federations, whether it's the press. And we're building a 0:16:11.960 --> 0:16:18.800 unique streaming service that, although it is Jewish storytelling, it 0:16:18.840 --> 0:16:24.040 will have it has a quality base and a spirit 0:16:24.640 --> 0:16:27.800 that can go beyond just the Jewish audience because it's 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:30.920 the bad stories that everybody can relate to, not just 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:31.800 Jewish folks. 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:38.240 We will be back to help Meil spread the word 0:16:38.280 --> 0:16:48.560 of mouth right after these messages, and we are back 0:16:48.640 --> 0:16:52.640 with Neil Freedman, CEO and founder of the streaming service 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:59.080 hi Flix. So in terms of how people discover hi Flix, 0:16:59.680 --> 0:17:03.240 you know, I caught an interesting statistic. There was a 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:09.160 firm called Antenna Research that studies specialty and niche streaming services. 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:12.440 Last month, they just said that two out of every 0:17:12.520 --> 0:17:20.080 three specialty streaming services are discovered through so called aggregators 0:17:20.160 --> 0:17:25.439 like Amazon Channels, compared to just nine percent of the 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:29.639 so called premium you know, the big time streaming services. 0:17:30.000 --> 0:17:33.000 Is there any arrangement like that for your service or 0:17:33.080 --> 0:17:38.119 you aggregated elsewhere or how do we find you answer? 0:17:38.160 --> 0:17:41.000 You asked a great question, and I'm really happy that 0:17:41.040 --> 0:17:43.800 you asked that question. We've had that decision to make 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:46.639 from the very beginning whether to go and become a 0:17:46.720 --> 0:17:49.840 channel on Amazon or Roku, et cetera, et cetera. But 0:17:49.880 --> 0:17:52.800 there's something unique to our channel that's different than any 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:57.680 other niche distributors. We have a world unto itself. People 0:17:58.080 --> 0:18:02.320 that are on our streaming service US have uncles in 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:05.880 another part of the world, another part of North America. 0:18:05.960 --> 0:18:11.160 They have friends, friends, they have university roommates. We believe 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:14.760 that we do not need to be on a bigger 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:18.640 channel in order to grow, and that's not that's been 0:18:18.680 --> 0:18:22.119 the case. We don't want to give over our channel 0:18:22.200 --> 0:18:26.959 to another platform. We want us We want to continue 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:30.480 to go in the way that we have been successful 0:18:30.520 --> 0:18:34.200 from day one, which was starting with one subscriber all 0:18:34.240 --> 0:18:36.440 the way up to where we are today, where we're 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:40.480 continuing every single day to add subscribers. That's the way 0:18:40.520 --> 0:18:42.960 it's worked. It's worked on word of mouth, and then 0:18:43.040 --> 0:18:47.120 maybe it's unique to the Jewish space, okay, as opposed 0:18:47.160 --> 0:18:51.480 to other spaces, but we're going We're banking on that 0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:54.960 and what we and part of that is the experience 0:18:55.000 --> 0:18:58.879 have had at the film Distribution Company in the sense 0:18:58.920 --> 0:19:04.639 that our repation as that name Menemsha became a brand 0:19:04.720 --> 0:19:07.800 name in the in the Jewish world in North America 0:19:08.480 --> 0:19:12.800 as big as Mirror Mex. Okay, you, when you narrow 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:17.720 the world to the Jewish world, Menemsha is a big, 0:19:17.760 --> 0:19:21.200 big brand, and the ki Flix and when it's narrow 0:19:21.240 --> 0:19:24.120 to the Jewish world in the world, is a big, 0:19:24.160 --> 0:19:27.400 big brand, and we want that for ourselves. 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:30.320 Makes sense. And also you don't have to split revenue 0:19:30.600 --> 0:19:34.640 with the aggregator, which certainly helps your business. Of course, 0:19:34.680 --> 0:19:37.840 another thing that could help ky Flix is a nice 0:19:38.040 --> 0:19:43.000 breakout original hit of your own. So it sounds like 0:19:43.080 --> 0:19:47.240 you guys are now ready to talk about a first 0:19:47.280 --> 0:19:52.159 original program. Tell us what's what's coming for ki Flix 0:19:52.200 --> 0:19:52.720 on that front? 0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:56.720 Okay? So we have, as I said to you, we 0:19:56.800 --> 0:20:01.080 now have eighteen hundred hours of programming. It's all fired programming, 0:20:01.160 --> 0:20:07.040 and it's not programming, it's third party acquisition programming. But 0:20:07.119 --> 0:20:12.199 we have I'm announcing now with you that we have 0:20:12.320 --> 0:20:17.960 our first original it's called Schmoozing and Cruising and it's 0:20:18.040 --> 0:20:22.919 a kosher food series. Okay, six episodes with a food 0:20:23.160 --> 0:20:27.520 subject matter as the essence of each thirty minute episode. 0:20:27.960 --> 0:20:31.320 One episode is about barbecue, one is about doughnuts, one 0:20:31.400 --> 0:20:35.080 is about coffee, one is about Chinese And in each 0:20:35.119 --> 0:20:40.800 episode you will see three restaurants in different cities in 0:20:40.840 --> 0:20:46.800 the country who highlight who present that kind of food 0:20:48.000 --> 0:20:52.560 as a highlight of their menu. And we're in essence, 0:20:52.640 --> 0:20:57.640 this series is bringing the kosher food world again, something 0:20:57.680 --> 0:21:00.879 that not everybody knows about, not even the Jewish world. 0:21:01.160 --> 0:21:05.120 It's sort of underground to some extent, out into out 0:21:05.280 --> 0:21:08.879 above ground. And this is this is what our mo 0:21:08.920 --> 0:21:13.160 O is with the channel. Overall, we're bringing great programming, 0:21:13.760 --> 0:21:17.800 whether it's from Israel, or whether it's from from uh Poland, 0:21:17.920 --> 0:21:21.359 or whether it's from Swiss Jewish programming out into the 0:21:21.400 --> 0:21:25.280 world for the Jewish and audience and and the larger audience. 0:21:25.680 --> 0:21:31.600 We believe, okay, we believe that we're onto something that 0:21:31.760 --> 0:21:34.760 is only going to get bigger, and that in the 0:21:34.800 --> 0:21:38.280 same way that you talked about the format rights of 0:21:38.280 --> 0:21:40.919 of the of the Israeli programming being remade in the 0:21:41.240 --> 0:21:45.679 in the home countries, we believe that these stories that 0:21:45.760 --> 0:21:49.080 are that that are that the Jewish storytelling that that 0:21:49.080 --> 0:21:55.240 that we have on our channel are available to others 0:21:56.160 --> 0:22:00.760 in the in the sense that they they're about human experience, okay, 0:22:01.000 --> 0:22:04.200 and that's why they're transferable beyond the Jewish audience. 0:22:04.640 --> 0:22:06.040 So when are we going to start? When do we 0:22:06.040 --> 0:22:08.440 see a first episode hit the service. 0:22:08.760 --> 0:22:11.720 Of the of the original Yeah, just before Thanksgiving? 0:22:12.280 --> 0:22:12.840 Makes sense? 0:22:13.400 --> 0:22:15.840 And is this going to be by the way, it's 0:22:15.880 --> 0:22:18.520 time to Thanksgiving because that's a food holiday. 0:22:18.320 --> 0:22:20.520 As makes sense. And by the way, food is a 0:22:20.560 --> 0:22:21.919 savvy programming choice. 0:22:21.960 --> 0:22:22.960 Nothing is more. 0:22:23.320 --> 0:22:28.439 Universal in its jewishness than food, like I get it. 0:22:28.480 --> 0:22:31.360 And what about kosher food that's even more Jewish? 0:22:32.040 --> 0:22:36.240 Absolutely? Will this take place in international cities or is 0:22:36.280 --> 0:22:37.200 it just you as. 0:22:37.040 --> 0:22:37.960 It's North America? 0:22:38.240 --> 0:22:38.640 Okay? 0:22:38.800 --> 0:22:41.240 And you know it will play in all five of 0:22:41.280 --> 0:22:44.800 the territories that Kiflix is on. And this is just 0:22:44.880 --> 0:22:47.280 our first foray, we're dipping our toe in this water, 0:22:47.840 --> 0:22:52.679 and we are going to rely on licensing third party 0:22:53.280 --> 0:22:56.160 series or from around the world, and we'll go step 0:22:56.160 --> 0:22:59.959 by step, including this original program in building the channel. 0:23:00.160 --> 0:23:02.680 Now, what's the cruising element in this. 0:23:03.040 --> 0:23:05.720 The idea is that you're going from city to city, okay, 0:23:05.760 --> 0:23:08.600 because every episode will take place in three cities, in 0:23:08.680 --> 0:23:11.280 three different restaurants, one restaurant in each city. 0:23:11.840 --> 0:23:15.199 Okay, sound can can you preview what restaurants are going 0:23:15.240 --> 0:23:16.800 to make the cut in this first season. 0:23:17.400 --> 0:23:19.240 There's one in you know, I don't know the name 0:23:19.280 --> 0:23:21.720 of the restaurants on the top of my head, but 0:23:21.800 --> 0:23:23.960 you know it's if there's one in the valley here, 0:23:24.040 --> 0:23:27.960 there's one in Cleveland, there's They're all every every part 0:23:28.000 --> 0:23:28.560 of the US. 0:23:29.359 --> 0:23:33.840 I'm salivating already. Yeah, no, it sounds absolutely. 0:23:34.119 --> 0:23:36.280 This is just part of what we do. I mean, 0:23:36.320 --> 0:23:41.160 the whole idea is that this is a repertoire. This 0:23:41.240 --> 0:23:43.479 is not this is one stop shopping. I want to 0:23:43.600 --> 0:23:47.560 keep emphasizing this right, one stop shopping, preserving Jewish culture. 0:23:47.840 --> 0:23:50.920 So where our ideas to go to a to z okay? 0:23:51.280 --> 0:23:55.399 In terms of kinds of programming, a subject matter of 0:23:55.440 --> 0:23:58.639 programming and sensibility of programming. 0:23:59.080 --> 0:24:02.080 Now do you see this says the first in a 0:24:02.280 --> 0:24:06.800 I'll have to use a food metaphor menu of original 0:24:06.960 --> 0:24:07.280 could be? 0:24:07.800 --> 0:24:11.960 Could be? Obviously you said it yourself. Food is makes 0:24:12.000 --> 0:24:14.480 sense that this would be the first original from a 0:24:14.520 --> 0:24:19.480 Jewish streaming service. Why not? Okay, it's too early to tell. 0:24:19.640 --> 0:24:22.840 I think this is this. You know, this could be 0:24:22.880 --> 0:24:24.879 something special. We just don't know yet. 0:24:25.200 --> 0:24:30.040 Sure, sure, I also have to ask the most Jewish 0:24:30.080 --> 0:24:34.280 of questions, what does it cost per month or per 0:24:34.400 --> 0:24:38.360 year to access high Flex? And is that something that 0:24:38.400 --> 0:24:39.760 could change over time? 0:24:40.240 --> 0:24:44.199 It's it's right now. It's seventy two dollars for an 0:24:44.200 --> 0:24:46.600 annual subscription and nine to ninety nine month. 0:24:47.160 --> 0:24:49.840 And is that the same price in different regions or. 0:24:50.000 --> 0:24:52.040 That's the same price in all five territories? 0:24:52.160 --> 0:24:52.520 Okay? 0:24:52.560 --> 0:24:55.439 And we want to make it affordable. Okay. We're not 0:24:55.560 --> 0:25:00.600 looking for an elite audience. We want it. We we 0:25:00.880 --> 0:25:04.320 we have a cultural function here. Remember I keep it. 0:25:04.480 --> 0:25:07.200 I want to hit this bell often as often as 0:25:07.200 --> 0:25:11.840 I can, preserving Jewish culture. We wanted it affordable. And 0:25:12.359 --> 0:25:15.879 what we're finding and what we know now is that 0:25:15.920 --> 0:25:20.439 people really love this channel and people watch and are 0:25:20.520 --> 0:25:23.000 voracious about it. And I'll tell you we sent out 0:25:23.000 --> 0:25:25.879 a survey. I think it was about price, matter of fact, 0:25:26.680 --> 0:25:30.560 and we wanted to talk to our subscribers this and 0:25:30.640 --> 0:25:34.720 I would tell you, maybe not half, but a tremendously 0:25:34.800 --> 0:25:38.320 large percentage of our audience said when we asked them 0:25:38.359 --> 0:25:40.520 what about the price point, they said, we don't care 0:25:40.560 --> 0:25:45.040 what it costs, we just want the channel. So that 0:25:45.240 --> 0:25:47.879 was a complete surprise to us, and that made us 0:25:47.880 --> 0:25:51.720 think that we were onto something okay, And you know, 0:25:51.760 --> 0:25:54.280 how could you How can I not feel that way 0:25:54.720 --> 0:26:00.600 because there is nothing out there like this. And you know, 0:26:00.840 --> 0:26:03.880 being Jewish, by the way, is not just being Jewish. 0:26:03.920 --> 0:26:06.920 It's not just being a secular Jew. There's other aspects 0:26:07.200 --> 0:26:10.720 that we think about in terms of being Jewish, whether 0:26:10.760 --> 0:26:15.480 that's takun olam, you know, changing the world, whether it's 0:26:15.680 --> 0:26:20.520 uh all these all these good traits of a human 0:26:20.560 --> 0:26:26.040 being that come from our our history that and you 0:26:26.119 --> 0:26:29.399 don't need to be Jewish to be that way. So 0:26:30.280 --> 0:26:34.919 maybe we'll have a whole section on social justice unrelated 0:26:34.960 --> 0:26:39.240 to being Jewish. Me personally, when I see the refugee 0:26:39.280 --> 0:26:41.239 crisis going on in the world right now, how can 0:26:41.320 --> 0:26:43.199