Emagine Entertainment is saddened to announce that the Juneteenth Film Festival to benefit the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) has been indefinitely postponed. The film festival was originally planned to begin Friday, June 19th with 100% of net ticket proceeds benefiting UNCF. At this time, all tickets sold will be automatically refunded to the respective guest’s credit card. Emagine Royal Oak, the intended Michigan host venue for the festival, is located at 200 N. Main Street in Royal Oak at the corner of 11 Mile and Main. The second festival site, in Minneapolis, MN, will proceed with the program, as planned.
Four days after news of the event was brought to the attention of state officials, Emagine’s Chairman, Paul Glantz, was today served at his home with a letter from the Attorney General’s office advising that it would bring criminal charges against him if he proceeded with the film festival as planned.
Mr. Glantz has decided to postpone the Michigan event. Mr. Glantz noted “The hypocrisy of our Governor’s orders is unfathomable in magnitude. Strip clubs are open, massage parlors are open, and yet there is alleged ‘science and data’ to support the continued closure of movie theaters. It is okay to walk arm and arm with folks in Highland Park for a photo op in violation of social distancing guidelines, but we allegedly pose a threat to the life and safety of our guests. If there is anything more arbitrary and capricious in governmental behavior, I certainly haven’t experienced it in my lifetime.”
Glantz said in his statement Thursday he submitted his plan for opening to Whitmer’s office for review but received no feedback.
“Indeed, we have undertaken extensive efforts to ensure public safety as outlined in a comprehensive submitted to the Governor’s office for review. Sadly, we have received absolutely no feedback on our reopening plan. It has apparently been ignored or dismissed without consideration. We find this wrongful abuse of governmental power appalling, and we will be seeking legal redress to prevent it from occurring in the future.”
Mr. Glantz further noted “To our friends at UNCF, we continue to believe in the benefits this Film Festival can bring to the community. We look forward to the partnership we have established with UNCF to raise money, and to support, educate, and empower black youth in our communities. The Royal Oak show will go on at a later date.”
About Post Author
