Some of the most interesting film programming in Japan right now is happening in a converted kindergarten. CineYama, a buzzy new indie cinema in Yamanashi Prefecture just outside Tokyo, was founded by former senior Netflix staffer Matt Kelson, and its eclectic lineup is quickly making it a destination for Japanese cinephiles.
CineYama (Credits: Deadline)
How former Netflix staffer Matt Kelson launched CineYama in Japan
Kelson spent about 11 years at Netflix in total. He started in Los Angeles on the product team, where he was responsible for the artwork seen across the service, working with design agencies around the world. When Netflix Originals arrived, he joined a newly opened screenings team handling film festival screenings, and eventually moved to Japan to manage screenings across the Asia-Pacific region.
That background makes CineYama a unique proposition in Japan’s indie film scene. Its founder is American, its home is a former kindergarten, and its programming reflects a programmer’s eye rather than a purely commercial calculation. This week’s lineup alone shows the range: director Lee Chang-dong’s genre mash-up Possible Love, Dario Argento’s giallo classic Suspiria, and Sophy Romvari’s accomplished debut Blue Heron.
The venue sits in Yamanashi Prefecture, a location that might seem unlikely for one of the country’s buzziest new cinemas. But that is part of the appeal. CineYama is not trying to be another big-city multiplex or a standard arthouse screen. It is a small, distinctive space built around curation, and audiences are responding to the mix of contemporary discoveries and beloved classics.
Why CineYama stands out in Japan’s indie film scene
Independent cinemas everywhere face pressure from streaming and shrinking theatrical windows, and Japan is no exception. What makes CineYama’s story striking is the direction of travel: a man who spent over a decade inside the world’s biggest streaming company has chosen to build something small, physical and local.
Kelson’s Netflix career gave him a global view of how films reach audiences, from artwork to festival screenings to regional strategy. CineYama applies that experience in reverse, betting that a carefully chosen program in a memorable space can still draw people out of their homes. Early buzz suggests the bet is paying off, and for film lovers in and around Tokyo, the former kindergarten in Yamanashi is fast becoming a place to watch.
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Source: Deadline — read the full story there.
