While there are a million different things we could worry about when it comes to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, including public health and safety at the top of the list, almost every industry around the world is affected by this illness. And in the film world, that includes art-house cinemas, who have mostly been closed by government regulations and health concerns, leaving many without revenue and possibly without hope for the future. That’s where Criterion and Janus Films come in.
According to the two companies, Criterion and Janus are working together to create a fund, titled Art-House America Campaign, that will specifically help art-house cinemas that are negatively affected by the global pandemic. The two companies have created a GoFundMe that is aiming to help these exhibitors during this tough time, and they have donated $50,000 to get the ball rolling. The money is managed by the Art House Convergence, a nonprofit association dedicated to sustainability in community-based, mission-driven media exhibition.
Here’s how the campaign is described:
“The intention of this fund is to ensure that art-houses are able to reopen when safe to do so. Funds are intended to support essential payments during closure. Essential payments include those for payroll, insurance, rent, non deferrable loans, utilities, fundraising, and mortgages. Funds cannot be used for equipment purchases, future programming, or executive compensation.“
And if you’re the proprietor of one of these independent cinemas and would like to apply to take part, you can do so here. If you’d like to donate, you can do so at the campaign’s GoFundMe page.
The Art-House America Campaign is expected to run for one month. From there, the grants will be rolled out once the funds are available.