Former Netflix Exec Opens CineYama Indie Cinema in Japan

Former Netflix screenings manager Matt Kelson has launched CineYama, an independent 43-seat microcinema operating inside a converted kindergarten in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Reported on 28 October 2026, the venue has welcomed over 3,000 attendees in its first six months with digital, 35mm, and 16mm projection. Screening international arthouse titles such as Suspiria and Blue Heron, CineYama is also launching a theatrical distribution arm beginning with Les Blank's 1982 Werner Herzog documentary Burden of Dreams. While Malaysian theatrical or streaming availability for CineYama's touring slate has not been confirmed, the project offers film enthusiasts in Malaysia an insightful case study in independent community exhibition and repertory cinema outside metropolitan centres.

Key Facts

Core operational and technical data confirm the launch of CineYama as an independent microcinema in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. CineYama operates as a 43-seat independent cinema featuring digital, 35mm, and 16mm projection inside a converted kindergarten. The venue recorded more than 3,000 visitors during its first six months of operation.

How Did Former Netflix Staffer Matt Kelson Establish CineYama?

Matt Kelson established CineYama by acquiring and restoring an abandoned municipal kindergarten in Uenohara City, Yamanashi Prefecture, following an 11-year career at Netflix. After facing corporate layoffs, Kelson pitched local government authorities and neighbourhood residents to secure unanimous approval for a 43-seat venue equipped with multi-format film projection capabilities.

Kelson previously worked in Los Angeles on Netflix's product team overseeing platform artwork before joining the company's screenings division to coordinate film festival presentations for original titles. He later moved to Japan to direct screenings across the Asia-Pacific territory. When regional restructuring eliminated his role, the Michigan native chose to stay in Japan with his family and seek a community space similar to an independent film venue he once ran in Detroit. He discovered the Sawamatsu Kindergarten, which had sat vacant for ten years. The Uenohara city government organized an open call to review proposals, where a 12-person municipal panel evaluated and accepted Kelson’s sole submission following three months of consultations. Subsequent discussions with the local residents' council resolved neighbourhood traffic concerns by confirming the modest 43-seat capacity. Following a full year of renovations, CineYama opened in the spring of 2026 with digital, 35mm, and 16mm projection equipment.

What Films and Distribution Plans Define CineYama's Model?

CineYama programs an experimental mix of international arthouse films, repertory retrospectives, and family releases to serve local audiences an hour west of Tokyo. Having attracted over 3,000 admissions within six months, the venue is expanding into theatrical distribution by acquiring Japanese rights to Les Blank’s 1982 documentary Burden of Dreams.

Programming at the venue has featured Dario Argento’s Italian horror classic Suspiria, Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love, and Sophy Romvari’s debut feature Blue Heron. Because Uenohara has become a suburban destination for families relocating from Tokyo, commercial children’s programming including a recent Bluey film has delivered strong ticket sales alongside specialized arthouse events. In June, a dedicated retrospective of six Andrei Tarkovsky features generated 160 admissions. For its new distribution venture, Kelson contacted Les Blank’s son directly to license Burden of Dreams, the acclaimed non-fiction feature documenting Werner Herzog’s chaotic production of Fitzcarraldo in the Amazon jungle. CineYama will premiere Burden of Dreams locally before distributing the unreleased documentary to other independent cinemas across Japan.

What It Means for Viewers in Malaysia

Malaysian cinema release schedules, official censorship classifications, and streaming platform availability for CineYama’s distribution titles have not been confirmed. The Japanese microcinema operates exclusively in Yamanashi Prefecture, and none of its specialised acquisitions, including Les Blank’s Burden of Dreams, have secured theatrical booking or video-on-demand rights across Malaysian entertainment platforms.

No local film classification has been issued by the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia (Lembaga Penapis Filem, or LPF), and commercial exhibition chains such as Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC), TGV Cinemas, MBO Cinemas, and Lotus Five Star (LFS) have not announced screenings. Similarly, domestic streaming platforms operating in Malaysia—including Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Prime Video, HBO Max, Viu, iQIYI, and Astro—have not confirmed carriage for CineYama’s repertory titles. Malaysian theatrical release dates, LPF ratings, and local streaming availability for CineYama acquisitions remain unconfirmed. Despite the absence of local distribution, the venture offers an encouraging model for Malaysian community film societies and independent arts spaces seeking to repurpose unused public buildings for cultural exhibition.

Common Questions

Where is CineYama located, and how many seats does it have?

CineYama is situated in Uenohara City, Yamanashi Prefecture, approximately one hour west of Tokyo, Japan. The independent venue operates inside the former Sawamatsu Kindergarten and accommodates 43 patrons with digital, 35mm, and 16mm projection equipment. It was established on an abandoned municipal property.

Who is Matt Kelson, and what was his role at Netflix?

American entrepreneur Matt Kelson worked at Netflix for 11 years, initially designing interface artwork in Los Angeles before managing festival screenings for Netflix Originals. He later relocated to Japan to oversee regional screenings across the Asia-Pacific region prior to departing after corporate layoffs.

What is Burden of Dreams, and how will it be released in Japan?

Burden of Dreams is a 1982 documentary by Les Blank chronicling the troubled production of Werner Herzog’s film Fitzcarraldo. Having never received a theatrical run in Japan, the documentary will debut at CineYama before rolling out to other independent theatres nationwide through Kelson’s new distribution outfit.

Sources and Methodology

This report is based on reporting by Zac Ntim for Deadline Hollywood, published on 28 October 2026 and accessed on 29 October 2026. Information regarding CineYama was sourced directly from interviews and operational records supplied by founder Matt Kelson to Deadline Hollywood. The source material contains no financial budget or box office figures requiring currency conversion.

All factual claims regarding seating capacity, projection specifications, municipal approvals, historical attendance data, and distribution plans reflect firsthand statements verified in the original trade dispatch. In compliance with editorial verification standards, unconfirmed Malaysian release windows, local ratings, and streaming distribution agreements remain explicitly designated as unannounced.