Exclusive: Fairfax Cinema Floorplans

July 29, 2018 in original reporting, short feature

We previously reported on the work the former Cinefamily folks are doing to reopen as Fairfax Cinema. Now that L.A.'s Department of Building and Safety has issued some permits, we can get a look at the Harkhams' plans.

This rendering was approved by the city on June 18. (Full permit available here.)

This slightly different rendering was approved by the city on July 13. (Full permit available here.)

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the plans!

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.

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