As I’m sure anybody reading this already knows, movie theatres are one of the casualties of the coronavirus outbreak.  The big chains will be struggling, but the theatres that are going to be hit hardest are the small movie houses that show independent films and revival programming.

I was so glad to receive an e-mail from Criterion this morning, explaining that they were part of a campaign to help small movie houses through this tough time.  Here’s an excerpt….

On Monday evening, Janus Films and the Criterion Collection contributed $25,000 each to establish the Art-House America Campaign, a fund to offer immediate assistance paying essential bills and key non-executive staff salaries. Most theaters will benefit from grants of $2,500 or more.

You can help, too.  Follow the link below to contribute to the campaign.  Think of the great experiences you’ve had seeing classic films on a big screen, the way they were meant to be seen.  Or the amazing independent films you might have missed completely if your local art house hadn’t booked them.  And then think about all the employees who work hard to keep those theatres running, and how many of them won’t be getting a paycheck until the pandemic blows over.  If the theatre they work for can even reopen.

Art-House America Campaign

Twenty years ago there were a number of independent movie houses in LA.  Now there are just a handful.  Don’t let the coronavirus finish them off.  Please give to the campaign.