Dear Friend of the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre,

Thank you for joining more than 2350 concerned citizens who have signed the petition urging the board of the American Cinematheque to hold a public meeting, explain the problems facing the troubled non-profit, halt any potential sale of the Egyptian Theatre and be transparent about its plans moving forward. The petition is directed to the board, to the local city councilmember's office, and to the California Attorney General, who was already investigating the American Cinematheque before it sought to sell the theatre.

Last weekend, the 55th Annual Cinecon Classic Film Festival took place at the Egyptian Theatre. Sources have described this to us as a happy rescue, after the longstanding booking was very nearly cancelled on short notice. With attendees and vendors coming to Hollywood from around the world, this had the potential to generate a lot of bad publicity, and political, non-profit and corporate forces worked together to quietly solve the problem.

Not so fortunate is the 22nd Arpa International Film Fest (November 8 through 10), which has been held at the Egyptian Theatre for the past 14 years. The socially-focused Arpa, which also features guests from around the world, has moved its screenings to American Legion Post 43, “due to the purchase of the Egyptian by Netflix.”

The loss of regularly scheduled festival programming and the impact of such loss on local small businesses and the film community is something we’ve been expressing concern about since this campaign launched in the spring, and we’re very sorry to see it beginning to happen. Sources tell us the cost of Arpa's booking is significantly higher at this alternate venue. We hope you’ll check out Arpa’s programming and support the oldest international film festival in Los Angeles as they face the challenges of major changes caused by the uncertainty of the availability of the Egyptian Theatre as a rental house.

Funny thing about the proposed purchase of the Egyptian Theatre by Netflix: hardly anyone is willing to talk about it. Not the American Cinematheque or their consultant Ken Scherer, not Netflix, not Hollywood City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, not the City Attorney or the California Attorney General. Almost the only people who are talking are community members who care  deeply about the Egyptian and the mission of the American Cinematheque. You’ll find an update on the situation in this terrific piece by Chava Gourarie in the Commercial Observer.

And finally, we’d like to introduce you to a new blog project we’ve launched with Bunker Hill historian Nathan Marsak, R.I.P. Los Angeles, which tells the story of our local preservation crisis, one demolition permit at a time. Read it and weep.

Please continue to share the petition with friends who love the American Cinematheque and want to see it thrive in the historic Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. And stay tuned for additional news as we have it.

Yours for Los Angeles,
Kim Cooper & Richard Schave
Friends of the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre