This post was written by Grace Promise and Livia Weiss of Mr. Connor Ryan’s AP Language and Composition class. We thank Joe Ferrari for coming to Marblehead High School to speak to us about his experience volunteering at Salem Film Fest. The below interview is edited for length and clarity.
photo credit: Bobbie Bush
MHS: How did you end up in Salem?
Joe Ferrari: I grew up outside of Milwaukee; then I went to law school in New Hampshire. A couple of friends were from Boston, so I got to visit them. I really loved the area, [and when] I met my wife, Beki we moved out here.
MHS: What did you major in? And what do you do for work?
JF: I double majored in Political Science and Film. I am a lawyer by trade, but I work for a software company making contracts/negotiations.
photo credit: Fae Phoenix Photo
MHS: What got you interested in the Salem Film Fest?
JF: I've always just loved film. When we first moved to Salem, we dove headfirst into the community -- volunteering, cleanups, working with city counselors, working with the Film Fest. I became really good friends with the organizers. It didn't feel like work because there were such great people around me, and it's a really great festival.
MHS: What is your role in Salem Film Fest?
JF: I [first] volunteered for the Fest at the beginning of 2015. I started out by cutting ballots over at Cinema Salem, and then I worked my way up to more complicated tasks. I became a film usher, and in the last few years, I worked on the Sponsorship Committee.
This is my first year as Director of the Film Fest. I’m involved in party planning, social media outreach, advertising, helping book visiting filmmakers, and just general operations. It's coordinating everything and making sure everything stays on the rails leading up to the Fest.
photo credit: Fae Phoenix Photo
MHS: When do you start planning for the Fest?
JF: I started planning on August 1st, and that wasn't enough time to start the planning. Planning for the 2024 Festival is going to start at the end of April or early May.
MHS: Do you have an all-time favorite Film Fest film?
JF: There was this film called KEDI about cats running around the streets in Turkey. KEDI was playing at the PEM around five years ago, and it was completely sold out. People were trying to get in and couldn't, so they were sitting in the aisles to watch it.
Salem Film Fest 2016, at the in-person screening of KEDI. Photo by John Andrews.
MHS: What do you enjoy the most about volunteering?
JF: The camaraderie of the people and the sense of community [that] builds off of that. I really love being part of this community.
MHS: What are some main challenges you face?
JF: It's people pulling me in so many different directions. It's tough to balance or manage all of that. As a director, I want to be as responsive as I can.
MHS: What do you think viewers should know about the Fest?
JF: Everyone in our community should know about [the Fest], especially what we do with the filmmakers – providing stipends, not charging them, splitting revenues, being able to discuss their films [with a live audience]. We're really a unique film festival that our co-founders Joe Cultrera, Rinus Oosthoek and Paul Van Ness founded 16 years ago. My goal is to continue it for years to come.
