LACMA Film Program Bailed Out After Weeks of Protest

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Following a sustained chorus of protest comprising everyone from its grass-roots loyalists to Martin Scorsese, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art reversed course today on its decision to end the museum's celebrated 40-year-old repertory film program. A $150,000 gift from an odd couple of donors sealed the deal this morning.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Time Warner Cable each chipped in $75,000, bless their hearts -- enough to revive the weekend film series through at least the end of the 2010 fiscal year. (TWC and Ovation TV will also contribute $1.5 million worth of marketing on both local and national platforms.) That was a relief to the cinephile activists who'd rallied on its behalf, though at least one from the organization Save Film at LACMA had slight reservations: "Our main concern is, 'OK, it's great that you're showing films, but what films are they going to be and will you show films every weekend?'" Doug Cummins told the Wrap.

True, there's no mention of the respected curator Ian Birnie returning to program films, but it should be fine. Apart from a few periodic picture, sound and other outages to remind viewers of TWC's generous stewardship, nothing much should change. Huzzah!

· Pledges of $150,000 Keep Program Alive Until June 2010 [The Wrap]