Cinefamily

Cinefamily
Name	Cinefamily
Established	2007
Dissolved	2017
Location	Los Angeles, California
Type	Nonprofit cinema

Cinefamily was an independent nonprofit film organization and repertory cinema located in Los Angeles, California, active primarily from 2007 to 2017. The organization presented revival screenings, themed series, repertory retrospectives, and original live events that connected classic and contemporary film culture. Its programming drew on a range of cinematic histories and communities across Hollywood, Silver Lake, and greater Los Angeles.

History

Cinefamily was founded by a coalition of film programmers, curators, and producers inspired by revival houses such as Film Forum (New York City), Taschen, and Cinephile networks, emerging in the broader context of downtown and Silver Lake cultural revitalization alongside venues like The Echo (music venue) and Echo Park Film Center. Early leadership included programmers who had collaborated with organizations such as American Cinematheque, Los Angeles Filmforum, and Film Independent. The organization established itself by staging curated cycles drawing on archives from institutions including The Criterion Collection, UCLA Film & Television Archive, and British Film Institute. Over its decade of operation Cinefamily built partnerships with festivals and institutions such as the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Toronto International Film Festival, and Paley Center for Media to host premieres, restorations, and artist talks.

Programming and Events

Cinefamily presented diverse programs ranging from silent film residencies to contemporary midnight movies, inviting contributors from institutions like Museum of Modern Art, MoMA PS1, and The Getty Center. Regular series featured work by filmmakers and artists including Akira Kurosawa, Werner Herzog, John Waters, David Lynch, and Agnes Varda alongside retrospectives of studios and movements linked to Eros Cinema, French New Wave, and Italian Neorealism. Live events combined film screenings with performances by figures associated with The Groundlings, UCB Theatre, and musicians who had worked with David Bowie and Neil Young. Programming often included restorations from archives such as Library of Congress, British Film Institute National Archive, George Eastman Museum, and collaborations with distributors like Criterion Collection, Kino Lorber, and Janus Films.

Cinefamily also hosted themed festivals and benefit screenings that featured guests from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences circles, and partnered with educational programs connected to USC School of Cinematic Arts, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, and American Film Institute for panels and workshops. The venue's calendar included series dedicated to television history involving properties distributed by Warner Bros. Television, NBCUniversal Television, and BBC Television.

Venue and Facilities

Housed in a historic building in the Fairfax/Silver Lake area of Los Angeles near landmarks such as Vine Street Theatre and Amoeba Music, the venue contained a main screening auditorium, a smaller screening room for repertory programming, and a bar and lobby space designed for receptions and fundraisers similar to those at TCL Chinese Theatre events. Projection capabilities accommodated 35 mm prints and digital cinema packages (DCPs), enabling exhibitions of works restored by Film Foundation, National Film Preservation Foundation, and independent laboratories such as Fotokem and Deluxe. The facility’s technical infrastructure supported live scoring collaborations with artists connected to labels such as Sub Pop and Merge Records.

Community and Cultural Impact

Cinefamily functioned as a nexus for Los Angeles cinephiles, industry professionals, and students, attracting audiences who also attended programming at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), and neighborhood institutions in Silver Lake, Los Angeles and Hollywood. By showcasing works from underrepresented filmmakers and curators associated with Sundance Institute, Black Film Center/Archive, and Chicano Studies Research Center, the organization contributed to broader conversations about preservation, restoration, and repertory curation in the United States. Cinefamily’s events fostered collaborations with independent distributors like Magnolia Pictures and Oscilloscope Laboratories, and with scholars from UCLA Film & Television Archive and American Film Institute Conservatory on专题s of film history and archival practice.

The venue’s combination of experimental programming, midnight revivals, and community-oriented membership model mirrored historical precedents set by The Paris Theater (Manhattan), The Nuart Theatre, and The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, influencing later repertory initiatives in Los Angeles and beyond.

Controversies and Closure

Cinefamily’s tenure ended amid public controversies and organizational crises that echoed accountability debates within cultural institutions like New York Philharmonic, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and Fathom Events. Allegations involving leadership prompted inquiries similar to those faced by other arts organizations, and led to legal consultations with counsel experienced in nonprofit governance and employment law, drawing parallels to policy revisions undertaken at Smithsonian Institution and university arts programs. The loss of key staff, withdrawal of sponsors, and termination of partnerships with distributors and archives precipitated a suspension of operations. After several attempts at restructuring and board reorganization—measures comparable to those adopted by institutions such as San Francisco Symphony and Brooklyn Academy of Music—the organization ceased programming and vacated its venue. The closure sparked discussions among film communities at Film Independent, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and preservation bodies about ethics, governance, and the stewardship of repertory cinema legacies.

Category:Cinemas in Los Angeles Category:Film societies in the United States