An October 2023 lawsuit filed by a former employee of Louis Black — of the Austin Chronicle, SXSW, and the Cinefamily Board of Directors — accuses Black of sexual assault and and forced labor. These and other charges are nearly identical to those made against other Cinefamily Directors in 2017.
Read Moreenablers
Children of the 1980s
What does Dan and Sammy Harkhams’ Cinefamily have in common with some of the most beloved brands of the 1980s? Ongoing allegations of workplace abuses, sexual improprieties, and board coverups — well into the 21st century.
Read MoreScanning the Landscape
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?
Read MoreCinefamily’s Sammy Harkham Promises “Full Transparency” at Fairfax Cinema…
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?
Read MoreUnfinished Business: The Enablers
The future of workplace safety is up in the air. We don’t yet know if #MeToo will herald a new era of responsibility, or if it’s just the latest in a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. Changing the culture is a long-term project, and while (some) perpetrators have been held accountable, new ones take their place every day. For sustainable, lasting change, we have to walk and chew gum at the same time: as we hold jerks to account, we must also attend to the systems and structures that support and protect them.
On seeing a ‘life ruined,’ a hit of smug superiority can give a false sense of justice served—false because this downfall addresses only part of the problem. Increasingly, advocates and the press are putting enablers under the microscope…
Read MoreCinefamily & Fairfax: Gessen on Punishment vs. Justice
There may be something satisfying about tearing down abusers, but don’t confuse that for justice, Masha Gessen warns.
Read MoreCalifornia's Pending #MeToo Laws: Call Your Legislators [updated]
California workers get new legal tools to fight sexual abuse and harassment on the job, and more legislation is pending.
Read MoreCinefamily Board President Simon Oré Breaks Silence
Former Cinefamily Board President Simon Oré breaks the board’s long silence and Shadie Elnashai teases a conversation. Dan Harkham and other board members keep on keeping their heads down.
Read More