Supporters rally to help keep Gardena Cinema from closing; theater now listed on the market
The Kim family purchased the cinema in 1976 but have struggled to keep it on as a family-owned business.
GARDENA, Calif. (KABC) -- The Gardena community rallied together over the weekend to help save one of Southern California's last single-screen theaters from closing for good.
Gardena Cinema held a free pop-up and screening Saturday and hundreds of supporters showed up.
The Kim family purchased the cinema in 1976 but have struggled to keep it on as a family-owned business.
The goal was to raise awareness about the theater's importance.
"To run a theater that's really based on being embedded in the community, unless people know about it, it's hard to keep it open," said a supporter. "It makes it special to me because I feel like L.A. is huge, the South Bay is huge, we can all be separated, it's only by having these places where we can all come together that we really become a community."
The theater said it's been listed on the market for sale, but there isn't a buyer yet.
"Until a buyer is found, we are still here and operating as a movie cinema," said owner Judy Kim. "I will do my best to keep the place running until escrow closes."
