Fairfax Cinema’s Open Letter

Starting December 24, 2019, the following “open letter to the community” appeared as a pop-up on the Fairfax Cinema website.

In 2006, my brother Dan and I bought the Silent Movie Theater, because we fell in love with the building and dreamed of creating a new style of creative programming that did not yet exist in Los Angeles. Soon after, we partnered with a board of individuals to found and run the project called Cinefamily.

Dan and I oversaw the theater’s design and development. Once day-to-day operations began, we stepped back to work on other projects  — my day job as a cartoonist and illustrator, and Dan’s in real estate development and management. We trusted the people in charge and stayed connected to the theater by serving on its board intermittently. In hindsight, I realize we didn’t have an accurate perception of the theater’s work environment. It wasn’t until I became a part-time employee as art director in 2016, that my understanding of Cinefamily changed altogether. Physically being in the building on a regular basis showed me how toxic and unprofessional the workplace had become.

We knew serious action had to be taken. Dan and I proposed a structural change to the Cinefamily board, specifically the removal of the co-founder/creative director. However, the board could not come to a consensus, which was necessary for any changes to be enacted. Given our inability to make any progress on the issue, Dan and I seriously considered evicting Cinefamily unless major organizational changes took place, but we knew that this action would mean many staffers would lose their jobs. We thought we could salvage the nonprofit entity by jettisoning the negative elements of the theater, so we met with potential replacement candidates to present to the board. The board seemed receptive to the plan — Cinefamily had been discussing relocation for some time and was about to announce the resignation of the creative director. We thought this would resolve the issues at the heart of Cinefamily, so we waited. Regretfully, it took the voices of the employees who experienced the toxic work environment first hand to finally bring an end to it.

We’ve been thinking long and hard over the last two years, as we attempted to correct past wrongs by managing the theater’s closure. It’s been a struggle to come to terms with everything that happened at Cinefamily, and we regret not responding immediately. Raising our concerns fell wildly short of definitive action. Dan and I accept full responsibility for this failure and apologize to everyone hurt by our inaction.

In light of all this, Fairfax Cinema is our way of trying to make right with the community as a whole. From its inception as Old Time Movies on, this building has been an LA institution. We do not want to erase or deny any part of the building’s history, good or bad. Instead, we are committed to establishing a venue that is for all of Los Angeles—a safe space where people can come together, share the joys of cinema, and have their voices heard.

We’ve heard you, and we’re still listening. We’re glad people are this engaged and concerned. We are too. One of our goals for Fairfax Cinema is full transparency, by communicating openly both within the company and with the public. We’ve implemented strict HR policies with third party oversight from an outside company. We have an entirely new team operating the theater, and as owners we are actively involved in maintaining an inclusive and healthy workplace.

We understand if this letter is received as too little too late. It has taken us too long to address these issues publicly. We know we can never repair the harm that’s already been done, but we are learning from it. We are working towards creating a space that will be a force for good in the L.A. community.

Sincerely,

Sammy Harkham
Co-owner