Emagine Royal Oak defying orders and will reopen for Juneteenth Film Festival
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Emagine Theater in Royal Oak is set to host a Juneteenth film festival, honoring the work of Black actors, screenwriters and filmmakers.
The theater is opening its doors on Friday, June 19 - even though technically it doesn't have the green light yet to reopen in Michigan.
Juneteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States, stemming back to June 19, 1865 when a general read out the emancipation proclamation in Texas.
The plan is to use all 13 theaters on Friday, each showing a different movie. There will be downtime for cleaning in between showings and social distancing will be in order. The theater is calling for two seats to be empty in between parties.
"We haven't specifically spoken to the governor's office but I can tell you this, we're ready to open. If you look at the number of other businesses, the array of businesses that are open, we think it's reasonably clear that there's no necessity to keep us closed, particularly when there's a time-sensitive opportunity to serve a philanthropic purpose like UNCF," said Paul Glantz, chairman of Emagine Entertainment.
You can read more about Emagine's COVID-19 preparedness measures below. Movie theaters in certain regions of Michigan, the Traverse City region and the Upper Peninsula, have been allowed to reopen as they've already advanced to Phase 5 of the re-start plan. All other regions are still in Phase 4.
https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/northern-michigan-moves-to-phase-5-barbershops-and-salons-reopen-june-15-in-latest-covid-19-update
Tickets are $10 for the film festival and all net ticket proceeds will be going to the UNCF (United Negro College Fund), as Glantz mentioned.
Tickets are available for purchase through Emagine's website. For a complete list of showtimes and purchase tickets for the Juneteenth Film Festival, click here.
The film festival is planned to run June 19-25.
The City of Detroit also has several Juneteenth events this week, leading up to a freedom rally at Spirit Plaza on June 19 at 10 a.m.
FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP
- The Defiant Ones - 1958
- If Beale Street Could Talk - 2018
- American History X - 1998
- I Am Not Your Negro - 2017
- Do The Right Thing, Universal, DCP - 1989
- Who's Streets? - 2017
- The Hurricane - 1999
- Guess Who's Coming To Dinner - 1967
- The Color Purple - 1985
- Imitation of Life - 1934
- Blindspotting - 2018
- In The Heat Of the Night - 1967
EMAGINE'S COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS
Guests will notice quite a few strategic measures taken in accordance of CDC, WHO and local authority health department guidelines.
Prior to opening, Emagine has done an overall deep cleaning of the entire building with CDC approved products. This cleaning regimen will become common practice and performed continuously at all Emagine locations.
Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance through Emagine's website or app, which will allow them to select seats and provide contactless ticketing.
Before entering the theatre, there will be signs asking guests to refrain from entering the theatre if they have experienced any symptoms of COVID-19. Emagine is also requesting that all guests respect social distancing guidelines and encourage the wearing of masks by guests while in the lobby and restrooms. In addition, Emagine will provide masks for any guests, upon request.
Emagine's lobby will have directional signage and graphics to remind guests to remain 6 ft apart at the box-office, concession stand, self-serve soda station, restrooms, and queueing lines.
Hand sanitizer stations will be available at numerous locations throughout the building. Restrooms will have restrictions on capacity and have signage to remind guests to socially distance while inside.
In addition to arranging furniture to respect social distancing in the lobbies, Emagine has also adjusted the auditorium seating to allow for restricted capacities that are mindful of social distancing guidelines. As guests enter the auditoriums to find their seats, there will be one staircase to go up and another staircase for those leaving the auditorium, and one-way aisle traffic will be encouraged.
There will be increased time frame between all showings to allow for thorough and intense cleaning between all showtimes. Employees will also clean and disinfect high traffic areas more frequently and exit doors will be propped open to reduce common touchpoints.
Emagine has also adopted a return to work action plan with health and cleanliness protocols for employees that will include wearing masks and gloves while working. All employees will be required to complete and sign a COVID-19 Daily Screening Form answering questions regarding possible exposure to COVID-19.