On the Record with Cinefamily / Fairfax

Sammy Harkham: Recycling Old Talking Points

In the spring of 2018, CinefamilyAccountability unearthed a newly-filed financing statement related to the Harkhams and the theater. Given past assurances of open communication from Fairfax’s Hensley, we reached out to Erin Hensley and to Dan and Uri Harkham on June 1, 2018.

The next day, Sammy Harkham introduces himself. (Dan and Erin, presumably, have thrown their hands up.) He attempts the same talking points.

We reply with cautious optimism, suggesting a meeting. Conversations with Sammy continue over email in anticipation of a July meeting.

With conversations going in circles, we continue to rehash previous talking points. For whatever reason — whether because the Harkahms do not communicate internally or because they entered dialogue in bad faith — we made no progress.

Thinking perhaps our concerns were insufficiently clear, CinefamilyAccountability stepped back to speak to first principals. In late July 2018, we attempted to crystallize the issues with this letter. There was no Harkham reply.