Ronan Farrow, National Treasure

October 13, 2019 in commentary

Ronan Farrow’s new book comes out this week, and it seems to hit on some recurring themes.

From Rebecca Traister in The Cut:

TL;DR

For the decade of Cinefamily’s existence, and for a certain sort of weirdo, the nonprofit single-screen cinematheque was the best thing about L.A.

In August 2017 we discovered Cinefamily was also a harmful place, especially for workers and for women. Reporting at the time focused on workplace sexual harassment, but when this website investigated we found a deeper rot. Former insiders told us of alleged assault, retaliation, wage theft, and embezzlement—as well as fraud against distributors, taxpayers, and regulators.

Cinefamily’s $2 million annual budget was subsidized by taxpayers and overseen by professionals. If the board of directors had done its job, damage may have been reduced, and Cinefamily might still exist. Instead, evidence indicates some directors were not only aware of problems, but were involved in covering them up.

This website provides original reporting as an ongoing call for institutional responsibility. We seek what the board promised: a credible and comprehensive accounting, victims heard and creditors paid, and a new approach to corporate governance and community accountability.

Please reach out with questions, complaints, tips.

Featured Posts

Featured

January 4, 2026

Legal Opportunity for Cinefamily Victims

January 4, 2026

A new California law — effective January 1, 2026 — provides a two-year window for Cinefamily sexual assault victims to file suit—even if the statute of limitations has otherwise passed.

January 4, 2026

August 26, 2023

Sammy and Me

August 26, 2023

Cinefamily founder and board member Sammy Harkham took a break between stints of film programming at his theater on Fairfax to write about Hollywood men behaving badly. We take a closer look at Sammy’s graphic novel and his broken promises of creating a safe and responsible workplace.

August 26, 2023

August 26, 2022

Scanning the Landscape

August 26, 2022

In which we present a condensed history of Cinefamily and accountability and Cinefamily Accountability. Featuring Dan and Sammy Harkham and their Board of Directors, that one guy who traumatized everyone (and needed a bath), and Brain Dead Studios. Also we try to answer: so what are we doing here again?

August 26, 2022

October 7, 2021

Is Cinefamily’s Hadrian Belove the Man Behind the Curtain?

October 7, 2021

Former Cinefamily Executive Director Hadrian Belove is linked to the upcoming New York film festival New People’s Cinema Club, and to a newly-formed California nonprofit called Children's Cinema Resource. But why does it seem like everyone’s trying to hide these connections?

October 7, 2021

May 6, 2021

Harkhams Fade into Background as Operations Resume

May 6, 2021

After months of pandemic-related shutdown, cinema-going in Los Angeles is ramping back up, and films are once more being shown commercially at the Silent Movie Theater. And once more, operations resume with another change in branding: the space is now called “Brain Dead Studios,” following its brief run as Fairfax Cinema and, before that, Cinefamily.

May 6, 2021

February 28, 2020

Cinefamily’s Sammy Harkham Promises “Full Transparency” at Fairfax Cinema…

February 28, 2020

After agreeing to talk with this website, Fairfax Cinema changed course. Then the anonymous Tweets began. Are the Harkhams falling back on an old playbook?

February 28, 2020

December 18, 2019

“Uncut Gems” [Was] to Open Cinefamily / Fairfax on Christmas 2019 [Updated]

December 18, 2019

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fairfax Cinema—the rebranded Cinefamily entity—will open next week with a 35mm run of “Uncut Gems,” the new Safdie Brothers movie starring Adam Sandler. Yet inaccuracies in THR reporting left readers scratching their heads, and roiling anger over the Cinefamily scandal spilled into social media and may have caused the filmmakers to rethink their plans.

December 18, 2019

November 26, 2019

Over $1M Missing in Latest Cinefamily Tax Filing

November 26, 2019

Dan Harkham filed Cinefamily’s 2017 taxes. Most of the document is either missing or incoherent, but we try to make sense of the numbers.

November 26, 2019

September 1, 2019

What Can the Harkhams Buy for $250,000?

September 1, 2019

This installment on the political life of the Harkhams (Silent Movie Theater / Cinefamily / Fairfax Cinema) will analyze the family’s donations to politicians and to political action committees (PACs).

September 1, 2019

June 2, 2019

Fairfax Cinema Lobbyist: Change of Plans

June 2, 2019

A disclosure from the Harkhams’ former lobbyist raises new questions about the viability of the project, and signals that the renovations and rebranding may not be on track.

June 2, 2019

May 17, 2019

Cinefamily / Fairfax Hires Lobbyist to Woo City, Community

May 17, 2019

Cinefamily / Fairfax’s Dan Harkham has brought a veteran lobbyist onto the team. Apex LA’s Margaret Taylor is expected to help the Harkhams secure a conditional use permit to allow beer and wine sales at the rebranded Fairfax Cinema at the Silent Movie Theater.

May 17, 2019

April 6, 2019

Harkhams Make (Yet Another) Half-Assed Effort to Run Away from Cinefamily

April 6, 2019

Cinefamily ceased operations in August 2017 and Dan Harkham launched Fairfax Cinema shortly thereafter. But Cinefamily continues to exist as a legal entity. Newly-discovered state filings suggest Cinefamily finally closed. Except here’s why it didn’t.

April 6, 2019

July 29, 2018

Exclusive: Fairfax Cinema Floorplans

July 29, 2018

In which we get a look at some of the blueprints the Harkhams submitted for approval at the Silent Movie Theater’s Fairfax Cinema (rebrand of Cinefamily), following the #MeToo scandal.

July 29, 2018

July 27, 2018

An Open Letter to Cinefamily / Fairfax Cinema

July 27, 2018

After yet another derailed attempt at straightforward communications with the Harkhams about Cinefamily, Fairfax Cinema, and the Silent Movie Theater, we release this letter, marking the one-year anniversary of the Board’s failure.

July 27, 2018

July 22, 2018

Exclusive: Peek Inside Silent Movie Theater Renovations

July 22, 2018

A Cinefamily-watcher and friend of this website sends in these pictures of the historic Silent Movie Theater being gutted as the Harkhams rebrand into Fairfax Cinema.

July 22, 2018

April 1, 2018

Personal Attack “Crossed the Line” — Erin Hensley Tries To Silence Cinefamily / Fairfax Cinema Watchdog

April 1, 2018

Amidst conversations between this site’s author and Cinefamily / Fairfax’s Erin Hensley, Hensley breaks off communication and takes action to silence this site. (Even before it was cool to cc the provost!)

April 1, 2018