VIDIOTS FOUNDATION
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Mission Statement
A one-of-kind hub for film lovers, filmmakers, and everyone curious about cinema, Vidiots is dedicated to inspiring human interaction around film through preserving, growing, and providing access to its 50,000-title, diverse DVD, BluRay, and rare VHS collection, showcasing the work of emerging, master, and underrepresented artists, and producing unique film events and vital education programs. Vidiots relaunched on June 1, 2023, in its new home, Northeast L.A.'s Eagle Theatre.
About This Cause
A Los Angeles brick-and-mortar film space founded and helmed by women, Vidiots was opened as an alternative video store in 1985 by L.A. natives Patty Polinger and Cathy Tauber. For 32 years Vidiots served its devoted community via the iconic Santa Monica storefront, which shuttered in 2017 in the wake of rising costs. With the generous and unwavering support of major donors, Vidiots was able to store its collection and devise an extensive plan for sustainable relaunch in a new home. Vidiots’ new home opened in May 1929 as The Yosemite Theatre, a vaudeville stage. Almost immediately the Yosemite re-opened as an independent silent movie theater, and a year later it transitioned to sound. In 1940, The Yosemite Theatre became The Eagle Theatre. From 1976 to 1979, the theater ran as a Pussycat, part of the infamous adult cinema chain. Shortly thereafter, The Eagle once again became a traditional independent cinema, operating through the late 1990s before becoming a series of churches. With almost-11,000 square feet of entertainment and educational space, Vidiots operates seven-days-a-week and offers daily screenings and special programs, the full video store with DVD and BluRay rentals, concessions, and a light menu with beer and wine. The main theater (271 seats, 35mm and digital projection, and state-of-the-art sound) provides flexibility for various screenings, community, and tastemaker events. A second, smaller, flexible screening and community event space (33 seats) is ideal for screenings, workshops, receptions, and community gatherings. Vidiots Founding Members, the lifeblood of the Vidiots relaunch, include Miguel Arteta, Katie Aselton + Mark Duplass, Lake Bell, Jess Wu Calder + Keith Calder, Mackenzie Davis, Liz Hannah, Jerrika Hinton, Rian Johnson + Karina Longworth, Phil Lord, Max Minghella, Nate Moore, Morgan Neville, Ify Nwadiwe, Patton Oswalt, Amy Pascal, Aubrey Plaza, Paul Scheer + June Diane Raphael, among many more. Corporate Sponsors include A24, Alamo Drafthouse, Criterion Collection, Focus Features, Lionsgate, MUBI, Paramount Pictures, Shout! Factory, Sony Pictures Classics, UTA, Writers Guild of America West, Zeiss, and many more. Programming partners include The Black List, Cinema Eye Honors, Outfest, Oxy Arts and Occidental Media Arts + Culture Department, Seed + Spark, Sundance Institute, The Transgender Film Center, UCLA Film + Television Archive, and Women in Film, among many more.