[KineJapan] Save the Cinema petition

[Fujioka Asako]

Dear Friends of Japanese cinema,
I'm sure a lot of you know about some of the actions the Japanese film 
community is raising to support independent film in the face of the 
COVID-19 pandemic. One is a crowdfunding campaign to provide emergency 
funding to cinemas around Japan who are facing immediate threat of 
bankruptcy -- today there was a 90-minute online appeal with project 
initiators (and filmmakers) Fukada Koji and Hamaguchi Ryusuke, bringing 
in, live, Saito Takumi and Watanabe Makiko, and managers from 
mini-theaters Nagoya Cinema Schole, Kyoto Demachiza, Osaka Cine Nouveau, 
Cinema Onomichi, and Oita Cinema 10. The campaign, offering to support  
is here https://motion-gallery.net/projects/minitheateraid
Fukada Koji himself was making phone calls to seijin cinemas around 
Japan to ask if they wanted to take part in the project (any 
regular-running cinema can benefit from this campaign).
Meanwhile, there's the petition Save the Cinema which aims to deliver 
100,000 signatories to the Japanese government and lawmakers to demand 
support for cinemas suffering from government policies re COVID-19. The 
cut-off date is midnight April 7 Japan time, and we are currently at 
52,000. Anyone can sign the petition -- please support the cause. Link 
to Change.org petition at end of this email.

April 6th, 2020

To: The Government of Japan and its lawmakers

*URGENT: We Request Emergency Financial Aid for Small Art-House Theaters 
(“mini theaters”) amid the COVID-19 Outbreak.*

After the new coronavirus pandemic reached Japan, the government 
requested the cancellation, postponement or downsizing of sports and 
cultural events in the country. This has caused immense damage to the 
country’s art-house movie theater industry, hurting productions, 
distribution, advertising and screenings. Independent art-house 
theaters, which are the hub of cinematic diversity, are especially at 
risk, with some facing extinction. We are seriously concerned about them.
Since the new virus outbreak, audience numbers at cinemas have declined 
by 30 percent to 50 percent. After the government set the quarantine 
measures on March 26, the numbers dropped even more rapidly. Some 
theaters say they have seen an 80 percent decline in audiences, while 
others say no one turned up for screenings.  All the distributors that 
work with the cinemas providing quality art-house movies have had to 
postpone their schedules. This has pushed mini theaters to the edge of a 
cliff.
At this extremely difficult time, managers and owners of the cinemas 
have been forced to shut their doors temporarily to cooperate with the 
government’s health advisory. But as of April 6, the government had not 
offered compensation for their losses. For many, this could mean their 
doors will stay closed forever. If this ordeal continues till June, many 
cinemas will go bankrupt before summer.
Germany’s culture minister, Monika Grütters, said, “For our society, 
artists are necessary, no, not only ‘necessary,’ but ‘indispensable’ to 
maintain our lives. Especially now.”
She added that it is the most important cultural and political priority 
for the German government to maintain cultural organizations and 
facilities as well as support those who make their living by art. Mini 
theaters have taken root everywhere in our country and have been the 
core of Japan’s film culture. They are not just for amusement. They 
offer diverse art experiences, which provide local communities with 
“cultural rights.” Their facilities are just as important for a 
democratic society as art museums, drama theaters, and concert halls. 
Their workers are equally important as theater group members, orchestra 
musicians and group artists.

Now we are facing the VERY MOMENT when cinema’s precious cultural cores 
are extinguishing. We, all filmmakers and cinema supporters, request the 
following to Japanese government.

*・As emergency financial support, the government should compensate for 
the loss and decline of box office at each venue after the quarantine 
policy was implemented.  (Mini theaters reduced seats and numbers of 
screenings to cooperate with the antivirus campaign.) *

*・ The government should provide financial support to help the mini 
theaters recover after the pandemic is over. Such support would cover 
advertising, special screenings and guest invitations at special events.*

                        PETITIONERS  #SaveTheCinema

Arai Haruhiko (Director/Screenwriter)
Ando Sakura (Actor)
Iura Arata (Actor)
Inoue Junichi (Director/Screenwriter)
Irie Yu (Director)
Iwasaki Yuko (Managing Director, Japan Community Cinema Center)
Ueda Shinichiro (Director)
Eda Yuuka (Director)
Emoto Akira (Actor)
Otaka Takeshi (Producer/President, MotionGallery/ Co-Founder, POPCORN)
Kamimura Naho (Director)
Koreeda Hirokazu (Director)
Saeki Toshimichi (Screenwriter/Managing Director, Japan Writers Guild)
Shio Mutsuko(President of Cinematheque Takasaki/Director of Takasaki 
Movie Festival)/ Board Member, Japan Community Cinema Center)
Shiraishi Kazuya (Director)
Suwa Nobuhiro (Director)
Soda Kazuhiro (Director)
Tai Hajime(President, Oita_Cinema5/President, Japan Community Cinema Center)
Tsuchiya Yutaka (Director / Co-President, Independent Cinema Guild Japan)
Terai Takatoshi (President, CINEMA PLANNERS)
Nishihara Takashi (Director)
Hamaguchi Ryusuke (Director)
Fukada Koji (Director/ Co-President, Independent Cinema Guild Japan)
Fujii Michihito (Director)
Funahashi Atsushi (Director/Independent Cinema Guild Japan)
Hojo Masato (Manager, EuroSpace/Board Member, Japan Community Cinema Center)
Matsumoto Masamichi (Athenee France Culture Center/ Board Member, Japan 
Community Cinema Center)
Managi Izutaro (Lawyer/Producer)
Mori Tatsuya (Director)
Japan Community Cinema Center
Uzumasa (Distributor)
Independent Cinema Guild Japan
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

<DATA: How are other countries supporting art and culture?> (As of April 1.)
<Germany>
Germany’s government gives cultural/art organizations, small media 
companies, freelancers, or art individuals a one-time subsidy (NO need 
for repayment): 9,000 euros (1.07 million yen) for three months for 
individuals, freelancers, or small art companies with a maximum of five 
employees. It pays 15,000 euros (1.8 million yen) for three months to 
small/midsize art companies with a maximum of 10 employees.

<USA>
The American Art Foundation is preparing support worth $75 million (8 
billion yen) to aid the running costs of nonprofit art organizations.
<UK>
The British government has come up with a nationwide bailout plan: 
Regular employees get 80 percent of their salaries, to a maximum limit 
of 2,500 pounds (330,000 yen) a month. Plus, Arts Council England will 
give 160 million pounds (21.3 billion yen) to artists and art 
organizations as an emergency support package.
Here's where you can sign up.
https://www.change.org/p/savethecinema-%E3%83%9F%E3%83%8B%E3%82%B7%E3%82%A2%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%82%92%E6%95%91%E3%81%88-%E3%83%97%E3%83%AD%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%82%AF%E3%83%88-%E6%96%B0%E5%9E%8B%E3%82%B3%E3%83%AD%E3%83%8A%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A3%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B9%E3%81%AB%E3%82%88%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A6%E5%A4%A7%E3%81%8D%E3%81%AA%E6%89%93%E6%92%83%E3%82%92%E5%8F%97%E3%81%91%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%82%8B-%E5%B0%8F%E8%A6%8F%E6%A8%A1%E6%98%A0%E7%94%BB%E9%A4%A8-%E3%83%9F%E3%83%8B%E3%82%B7%E3%82%A2%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC-%E7%AD%89%E3%81%B8%E3%81%AE%E7%B7%8A%E6%80%A5%E6%94%AF%E6%8F%B4%E3%82%92%E6%B1%82%E3%82%81%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99?recruiter=1071422718

-- ***** FUJIOKA Asako Documentary Dream Center Yamagata International 
Documentary Film Festival www.ddcenter.org www.yidff.jp