Communication and correspondence

During the Cinefamily scandal of 2017, the organization was infamously tight-lipped. Communications were limited to unsigned board statements. The former board president told this website that after trying to speak to the press, he was removed from the board. The first signed statement came in December 2019.

As this was playing out, Cinefamily staff went on strike. Staff members sent a strike notice describing board and management problems.

In the wake of the scandal, some of those accused issued personal statements: Elnashai via an eponymous website and Belove via social media.

In the interest of transparency, we include correspondence between this website and representatives from Cinefamily / Fairfax Cinema. Readers should draw their own conclusions about the extent of good faith on the part of Cinefamily. (And, for that matter, on the part of this website.)

Cinefamily & Fairfax Cinema statements

• January 24, 2020 Yelp statement

• December 24, 2019 open letter to the community

• November 14, 2017 statement

• September 9, 2017 statement

• September 1, 2017 statement

• August 26, 2017 statement

• August 22, 2017 statement

Related statements

• Shadie Elnashai public statement
  In November 2017, Shadie Elnashai posted this statement on a now-defunct website.

• Hadrian Belove public statement
  In August 2017, Hadrian Belove shared this statement on social media before deleting it.

• Cinefamily staff strike notice
  On August 24, 2017, Cinefamily staff went on strike, issuing these demands.

Communication with Cinefamily/Fairfax Cinema

• July 2018 letter
  An open letter to the leadership of Cinefamily/Fairfax Cinema.

• October 2017 letter
  An open letter to the Cinefamily Board of Directors.

• Correspondence with Sammy Harkham, June 2018

• Correspondence with Erin Hensley, February 2018

• Conversation with Cinefamily attorney Rory Miller
  On a November 3, 2017 call, Cinefamily’s attorney made several promises. All promises were subsequently broken. Following the call, these notes were shared with other Cinefamily members in a (now-defunct) Facebook group.