How an Ex-Netflix Employee Opened an Independent Cinema in Japan

Matthew Kelson, a former Netflix employee who relocated to Tokyo from Los Angeles in 2020, established an independent cinema named CineYama inside an abandoned kindergarten in Uenohara, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, after securing permanent residency through the highly skilled professional fast-track program, Business Insider reported.

From Corporate Restructuring to Community Cinema

Kelson spent two years based in Tokyo for Netflix before moving to Uenohara, a small town situated an hour and a half away by train from the capital. During his time with the company, he worked remotely while occasionally traveling across Asia for screenings and heading into Tokyo for meetings. Following a subsequent company restructuring at Amazon where he also worked, Kelson left his corporate role in 2024.

With a six-month-old daughter at the time of the initial move and a son born three years later, Kelson and his wife decided Japan offered an ideal environment for their children. He began investigating ways to apply his background in film to benefit the local community. While scouting potential spaces, he discovered the vacant kindergarten building.

Plans to convert the old school into a theater commenced in 2024. By December of that same year, Kelson secured permanent residency via Japan’s fast-track program for highly skilled professionals. After forming his company a year later and completing a year of renovations, he opened the cinema in March.

Early Roots in Detroit and Los Angeles

Kelson’s background in film stretches back decades. Raised primarily in the Detroit area by an international business professor father who traveled frequently, Kelson took a filmmaking course at the Detroit Film Center at age 23. He subsequently worked as a teacher and projectionist at the center before joining a suburban independent art theater as an usher and later theater manager.

At age 25, using his personal savings, he converted an old school auditorium in Michigan into a theater that operated for two years before closing due to landlord disputes. Seeking a fresh start, he moved to Los Angeles in 2011. After approaching independent film distributors, he secured an internship, worked his way up, and joined Netflix’s creative team two years prior to his corporate relocation to Japan.

Kelson Overcomes Administrative Hurdles to Establish CineYama

Establishing CineYama required overcoming complex administrative hurdles. Kelson negotiated with city hall officials and local residents regarding the building’s intended use, company establishment, and compliance with fire and health regulations, all while operating in a language he did not speak fluently.

The process required adopting a methodical approach centered on patience and building trust rather than aggressive negotiation. Elderly residents initially displayed caution toward the project. Following a preview screening, however, local community members expressed approval at seeing the disused facility cleaned up and restored to public utility.

Screenings are structured to accommodate families and children, with tickets priced at 1,500 Japanese yen, approximately $9.50, alongside discounts for seniors and area residents. Programming focuses primarily on hard-to-find content intended to introduce viewers to alternative ways of life and cultural perspectives. The venue operates largely as a family-run enterprise, with Kelson managing operations, his wife assisting, and his children handling ticket stamping when present.

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