Dear Friend of the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre,

Thank you for joining more than 2400 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.

Today, the possible sale of the Egyptian Theatre and all of our concerns is the subject of a long article in the Los Angeles Times, which begins on the front page and continues on page 10. The story includes the surprising revelation that the American Cinematheque has yet to inform the Attorney General, who has final authority over any property sale, of their intent to sell.

We’re particularly pleased to see the story get such prominent placement, because it’s been so hard to get reporters interested in what seems to us a very big deal. You can read the story in print or online, and we hope you will take a moment to post a comment on the website to let the Times and other readers know how you feel about the situation.

You can also share your feelings about the proposed sale of the Egyptian on social media, mentioning the key players: American Cinematheque (they own the theatre and their board runs the non-profit), The Egyptian Theatre (this landmark was sold to the non-profit for $1 as a public amenity) and Netflix (a huge streaming company with deep pockets and a yen to own an historic movie theatre).

Also today, some interesting emails have been released in response to a public records request by government transparency blogger Adrian Riskin of MichaelKohlhaas.org. He asked Councilman Mitch O’Farrell’s office for correspondence between the councilman’s staff and various people at netflix.com.

Included in the emails turned over is one astonishing thread which shows that even though Netflix is not the legal owner of the Egyptian Theatre, the corporation and the office of Councilman Mitch O’Farrell appear to be making decisions about upcoming festival bookings. It’s all quite extraordinary, and this petition even plays a role! You can read the emails, and our interpretation of them, here.

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