Rory Miller

An Open Letter to Cinefamily / Fairfax Cinema

July 27, 2018 in commentary, short feature

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.

Cinefamily Assets and Fairfax Cinema

March 25, 2018 in original reporting

Cinefamily’s attorney says the board has no money. We talk to insiders who suggest otherwise. What are the Harkhams saying about ongoing Cinefamily responsibilities in the context of a pivot to Fairfax?

Cinefamily / Fairfax Cinema Keep Missing Legal Deadlines

February 02, 2018 in original reporting, short feature

Both Cinefamily and Fairfax Cinema seem to be missing more legal deadlines with the potential to affect donors and staff . We take a look at what’s late, and at Dan Harkham and Erin Hensley’s track record with appropriate record-keeping.

Confirmed: Cinefamily Becomes Fairfax Cinema

January 10, 2018 in original reporting, commentary

In which we contemplate what it means that Dan Harkham, owner of the Silent Movie Theater and controller of Cinefamily, filed papers back in October 2017 for something called Fairfax Cinema.

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.