SAN ANTONIO – Santikos Entertainment emailed loyalty members on Wednesday asking for help saying COVID-19 will make theaters “supremely challenged to survive.”
The entertainment company said that the virus has limited capacity limits in buildings, and the entertainment industry at large is suffering from a lack of exposure overall with limited releases of new movies.
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“To say it is frustrating would be an understatement,” the company said to loyalty members in the email.
The company said it has “worked for months to create safe physically distanced seating, implemented new sanitation policies and created health screening standards for customers.”
Despite these efforts, the company is still challenged to survive the COVID-19 outbreak.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has put movie theaters like ours at risk of going dark for good,” the email said. “From small independent screens to nationwide exhibitors, movie theaters employ over 150,000 people and have formed a cornerstone of the American experience for generations.”
Additionally, the email from Santikos urged loyalty members of the company to lobby Congress, urging representatives to take action to prevent the closure of theaters.
“Show your support to Congress by telling them you want them to take action to help us! It only takes a moment to fill out the pre-written form (make sure you get your zip code right and it will route to your appropriate elected officials). You can also help spread the word on social media with the hashtag #SaveYourCinema,” the emailed said.
Tim Handren, also the mayor of Boerne, currently serves as the company’s CEO.
Related: What San Antonians need to know before going to the movies