Minister Rich Coleman Deliver On Your Promises - LIFT the BAN on Movies at the RIO!

The Independent theatre industry is in crisis, just in the last few years we've lost the Hollywood Theatre, Oakridge Cinemas, The Van East Cinema, the Playhouse Company recently announced they are closing down permanently and the Ridge will be turned into Condos. The list of theatre closures has grown so much that Live and Cinematic Theatres are becoming an endangered species in Vancouver. These closures seriously damage the Arts and Culture scene in all of BC and have a wide range effect on artists, performers and the economy, costing jobs and destroying local artistic culture and neighborhood communities.

‎"there is an uncomfortable question in the coastal air: Is Vancouver becoming a cultural backwater?" - from a related issue in The Globe and Mail March 14th 2012

The Rio Theatre, known for Indie Documentaries and Midnight movies, where film Geeks dress up in costume and recite their favorite movie quotes, is barely surviving under the LCLB restrictions that have essentially killed all their evening film screenings. Since receiving a Liquor Primary license (for live events only) on January 24th 2012 the Rio Theatre has been in a very public battle to change out dated BC liquor laws that severely restrict the Award Winning Theatre's Film programming.

The Rio supports the request by a coalition of venues and film festivals to have current liquor laws changed to allow for the option to serve alcohol at 19+ movie screenings, but this request is not our primary concern. The Rio just wants to continue its multi media programming of live events (with bar service) and film screenings (without alcohol). There is no public safety issue, but the LCLB won't allow any regular film screenings in the evenings at the Rio even if the alcohol is locked up!

Laws are meant to serve the people, The Rio has been forced to comply with outdated liquor laws, that do not serve the public in any way. When laws no longer serve the best interest of the Public they must be changed.

On February 8th Minister Rich Coleman announced that he had lifted the restrictions Banning movies at the Rio Theatre. The Rio was thrilled to hear the Minister had taken such swift actions on his first day on the job, but their hope was soon dashed, when they read the fine print of the new regulations they discovered their venue is only permitted to show movies during non-licensed hours. According to the LCLB is between 6am and 5pm unless they agree to a permanent schedule that is not practical for the entertainment industry. Aside from allowing Matinee screenings, the LCLB will allow screenings of "legitimate" film festivals only 3 or 4 times per year. There are over 50 film festivals per year, this is NOT the "fix" we need to SAVE the RIO. Instead of fixing the problem they just created more red tape so that it is impossible for the Rio to program films.

In several public announcements Rich Coleman insisted that this was not his intention, "That's the policy directive coming out of the regulation," he said. "I've given direction that I want that more streamlined." Coleman said the regulation will be updated to eliminate the provision to permanently schedule weekly time slots for a non-licensed event and licence-holders will only have to give the liquor licensing board 24 or 48 hours' notice for events." - The Province Feb 10th 2012

If Rich Coleman really intended to cut red tape and lift the restrictions then why are films still banned at the Rio? And why are these restrictions still in place? By his own actions on Feb 8th, The Minister has demonstrated change can happen very quickly when he is willing.

It's time for the Minister to prove his sincerity and deliver on his promises to change the out dated liquor laws that are killing the film programming at venues like the Rio and jeopardizing films festivals and the independent film industry. We welcome his common sense approach and appreciate his efforts but so far his actions fall short of his promises.