Sundance Film fest ponders buying Kabuki

I still think that the new Examiner web site sucks, but one of their four articles today reports that one of Robert Redford's ventures may be interested in buying the Kabuki Theatre...

Sundance Cinemas, LLC, a spin-off venture from the festival, is the frontrunner to buy the AMC Kabuki 8 in Japantown, according to city and Japantown officials. It has plans to turn the cinema into a miniature version of the annual Sundance event complete with foreign films, movie discussions and, of course, independent offerings.

If Sundance completes the deal, the Kabuki would become one of the first theaters in a new North American independent movie chain the company is launching on the cachet of its annual festival in Park City, Utah. The Sundance Group also owns properties and a cable TV channel.

Paul Osaki, the director of the Japanese Cultural Center of Northern California, said Sundance should sit down with community residents, if the company plans on buying the theater.

'Sundance in San Francisco' sounds great, but having been to Park City in January, their ski and mountain culture is invaded by black-wearing Hollywood-types... The Japanese-feel of the Kabuki might suffer the same fate unless there is some agreement prior to the sale... Especially for the community uses for which the theatre is currently used...

Sundance launches Sundance Cinemas [Cinematical]
New Sundance Cinemas Circuit to Launch In Madison, WI [Indiewire]

Related: Sundance Institute, Sundance Film Festival