My Top Ten with Jed Dietz
Founding director of The Maryland Film Festival shares his favorite things.
By Lauren Bell | March 2018
Jed Dietz inside the Parkway Theatre. - Christopher Myers
George Udell’s hat. George held the power of independent film in his heart until he died and would be proud of the new film corridor in Station North his spirit helped create. I’m touched his friend Rebecca Hoffberger chose to give this to me.
Eugene M. Propper and Taylor Branch’s Labyrinth. This book recounts a tale of terrorism and crime solving on American soil, long before 9/11. It will make a great movie one day.
iPhone with the Fandango app. As mainstream media in our region backs away from movie coverage, Fandango is searchable by theater or movie title and knows what city you’re in. I use it day and night.
Alexander Julian shirt. A great friend and groundbreaking designer; I wear one of his shirts almost every day.
Tabasco sauce is one of America’s great artisanal sauces. I take it everywhere with me—it’s even great on Parkway popcorn.
Original Parkway program. A special gift that’s a reminder of how dramatically movies have evolved in the past 100 years.
2018 Sundance SIO Pass. Even before the festival starts, I’m annoyed by what I’m going to miss.
Tar Heels Hat. I went to the University of North Carolina and still bleed Carolina Blue. The people I met there changed my life.
John Waters’ Christmas card. Every year, John Waters creates an indelible image to celebrate the holidays. The images pop into my head randomly throughout the year. This tree ornament came with the card and actually has a plastic roach inside.
Piece of the original Parkway Theatre. The Parkway was a historic theater devoted to movies that helped popularize the new movie art form. It’s been incredible to play a role in its revival and bring a whole new part of the worldwide indie movie scene to Baltimore.
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