Help Cathode Cinema Grow and Thrive!

We’re back for a second fundraiser because, like any community-driven project, the sustainability and growth of Cathode Cinema depends on your generous support to continue bringing unique, curated film experiences to life both digitally and in-person! Help us help you!

ABOUT:

Cathode Cinema is a curatorial screening collective that showcases rare contemporary and archival films, short experimental works, and animation. Made possible by Coaxial Arts Foundation, a non-profit multi-disciplinary media arts organization devoted to supporting media, sound, and performance art.

HISTORY:

In early 2017, we had the idea of providing a space for anyone curious enough to come out to a DIY movie theater in a building that was formerly a sewing machine repair shop turned community-driven arts space—still a thriving incubator for the arts in downtown Los Angeles today.

It has always been our priority to bring the best in arthouse classics, neglected VHS weirdness from the dollar bin, esoteric sub-genres, and hidden gems to the surface. Our goal is to create a community that celebrates this material, which has brought immense joy to all of us.

Fast-forward 7+ years, and we have only just begun to expand what we started at Coaxial in 2017. Over the past year, we’ve secured more screening locations and are excited to announce even more IRL screenings soon!

In 2020, we launched our digital presence as a way to create a communal, accessible experience in watching and sharing films, which echoed our in-person screenings. Our first fundraiser last year helped sustain both our digital and in-person operations, but with rising costs and expanding plans, we need your support again.

OUR ASK:

As we move forward into our second fundraiser, we’re reaching out for donations once more.

Last year's fundraiser was a huge help in covering operational costs, but with inflation, rising monthly expenses, and the amount of work it takes to keep Cathode running both digitally and IRL, those funds bled out quickly. This year, we need to raise funds to keep the momentum going and grow beyond what we’ve been able to sustain out-of-pocket.

Here’s how your contribution can help:

1. Overhead Expenses:

This is a big one. Last year's fundraiser helped sustain us, but the ongoing costs of running Cathode—technology, equipment, platform maintenance, app subscriptions, and more—have quickly drained those funds. As just three people juggling day jobs and keeping Cathode alive, it’s a constant uphill battle. Supporting our overhead is crucial to keeping Cathode running smoothly without personal financial strain. With your help, we can focus on expanding our content and community without constantly worrying about covering essential costs. When we go offline for long periods, it’s not due to laziness—it’s simply a struggle to balance it all.

2. In-Person Film Screenings:

While we were eager to bring back the magic of our IRL film screenings last year, bandwidth challenges and limited resources have held us back from reaching the full potential we envisioned. Over the past year, we've secured more venues and hosted several successful events, but not at the scale we originally projected. We don’t profit from Cathode—this is a labor of love. Your support will help us build a more robust budget for 2025, covering expenses like venue rentals, staff, screening rentals and licensing, and exciting additions like DJs, guest speakers for Q&A panels, and other surprises.

3. Hiring Help:

One major area we’re focusing on this year is being able to hire the help we need for events, social media, design, and technical support when we need it. Handling everything as a small team of three has become very overwhelming, and we want to ensure that Cathode can grow and thrive without burnout. Your contributions will allow us to bring in experts and extra hands to improve our events and operations.

4. New Merchandise:

Merchandise has been essential to our financial sustainability, but due to time constraints and the lack of bandwidth and support in finishing our online store last year, we’ve had to postpone the launch of new items. Your contributions will allow us to finish our online store and develop an array of cool new merch, produced locally from in-house print shops, moving us away from the tedious ‘print-on-demand’ system. This will also include a full rebranding overhaul!

5. Future Development:

We’ve been hard at work behind the scenes, exploring new avenues for expanding our digital screening platform. This labor of love will soon need additional support to cover legal, publication, and presentational funds to finalize our new media ventures. With your help, we can ensure that these new offerings take shape, growing Cathode’s presence in exciting new ways.

We are deeply grateful for any amount you can contribute. No contribution is too small—every dollar brings us closer to our goal.

By supporting Cathode Cinema, you are directly investing in the cultural enrichment of our community and the promotion of artistic expression. We believe films have the power to inspire, challenge, and connect people, and with your help, we can continue to provide an inclusive zone for these experiences.

A huge thanks to all the “cult members,” cinephiles, Father Gary, the chat family and the rest of our dedicated community for helping us stay afloat. Your enthusiasm and love for strange, esoteric films are the fuel for the Cathode Machine. It’s YOU who make this a dedicated community we love so VERY VERY much!!

Lastly... PLEASE SHARE! XO