Cinefamily


The Cinefamily was a non-profit cinematheque located in West Hollywood, California at the historic Silent Movie Theatre. The Cinefamily's mission statement was to "reinvigorate the movie-going experience by fostering a spirit of community and a sense of discovery."
Cinefamily followed a member-based ticketing system by which a tax-deductible donation provided universal access to all screenings and events. There was an individual ticket system in effect for non-members or those who did not make a pledge commitment.

History

In 2007, Hadrian Belove, along with Sammy Harkham and his brother Dan, founded The Cinefamily, which officially opened its doors on Halloween of 2007.

Sexual misconduct allegations

In August 2017, an anonymous email was sent to Cinefamily members. The email detailed a 2014 sexual harassment allegation against Belove that resulted in a settlement and accused Shadie Elnashai, vice president of the board of directors, of "raping multiple women." Both men subsequently resigned, and Cinefamily itself suspended all operations as of August 26, 2017. Brie Larson, a member of the Cinefamily advisory board, announced she was stepping aside from the organization for the foreseeable future.
On November 14, 2017, Cinefamily altered its website so that only a text statement appeared. The Board of Directors formally announced the end of the organization, following an independent inquiry into the allegations.
The independent inquiry was protested by many former employees and members who felt the investigation lacked transparency. Many print and online articles were published detailing the labor abuses committed by Hadrian Belove and ignored by the Board of Directors.
After many months of silence, Shadie Elnashai released a statement on his personal website denying all charges. Elnashai cited the investigation's lack of findings as proof of his innocence. However, the board of directors at Cinefamily did not released the findings of the investigation, so this is not verifiable.

Programming

Cinefamily programming included a wide range of films, from early silents to contemporary features, live comedy, live music, found footage, mixed media and other special events, and extended form post-screening Q&As. They mounted original retrospectives on filmmakers Jim Henson, Jerry Lewis, John Cassavetes, and Andrzej Zulawski and commissioned live film scores by musicians such as No Age, Stephin Merritt and Espers.
Some of Cinefamily’s programming included Animation Breakdown, Don’t Knock the Rock, Everything is Festival!, reunion tributes for The Adventures of Pete and Pete and Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast, and women-only pajama party screenings.
In early 2011, The Cinefamily exhibited the Greek independent film Dogtooth, which received an Academy Award nomination within a month of its sold-out run. The Cinefamily also held special screenings of We Need to Talk About Kevin, Margaret, Bullhead, Michael and Battle Royale.

Rebranding

On December 25, 2019, following a year-long refurbishment project, Dan and Sammy Harkham reopened the theatre under the name Fairfax Cinema.