Kia ora fellow film fan,
The Aro St. Video Shop passed the milestone of 33 years in trade in September, which was a cause for celebration. However the reality is that it is likely to be our last birthday, at least in our current incarnation.
Short of a miracle, we have come to a point where it appears no longer viable for the AroVideo physical library to continue under the current model or at our current residence on Aro Street.
It was my hope that our supplementary streaming service, AroVision, would be the lifeline that might be able to sustain the library collection as a permanent archive, but alas, we have arrived at the end of that "runway" and on current trajectory we are realistically years away from reaching the required level.
TRANSITION PHASE
As the DVD library has been loss-making for some time now, my focus is no longer on finding enterprising ways of sustaining the current model, but instead on finding a solution to permanently preserve the library collection for future generations, if that is at all possible.
I have so far reached out to both our landlords and Manatu Taonga: Ministry for Culture & Heritage who might be able to provide funding relief to enable us the time to explore possibilities of finding suitable custodial partners for the future. These would likely have to be a significant public or private underwriter or a combination of both.
The funding grants available through Manatu Taonga are highly contested, and our application is currently open for feedback from the general public. I invite you to offer your support by completing their survey [Custodial transition and preservation of the AroVideo Library Collection] before the deadline of this Sunday, November 13th.
PLEDGE ME CAMPAIGN
In addition, we have initiated a Pledge Me Campaign to enable our film-loving community to contribute to The AroVideo Library Preservation Transition Fund. Again, this is to enable us more time to find a permanent solution, and we estimate our nominated target of $20,000 will extend the runway for another six months.
While any contribution you make to the campaign is essentially a donation, we are offering ’rewards’ in return across five tiers:
- $20+ (Film Extra) 1 x Complimentary film rental on AroVision
- $50+ (Bit Player) 1 x Complimentary film rental on AroVision + Secret Cinema single pass
- $150+ (Supporting Cast) Classic AroVideo T-shirt + AroVision rental x 2 + AroVideo 10-Trip Card + Secret Cinema Entry double pass
- $500+ (Lead Role) Annual rental subscription to the AroVideo DVD library + Annual Secret Cinema club 2023 pass (monthly screenings x 10)
- $1000+ (Star!) Unlimited rentals for 12 months on the AroVision streaming service and from the AroVideo DVD library.
Click through to our Pledge Me campaign, which closes on the 6th of December 2022.
You can also support us through the transition phase via the normal channels:
AroVision - Stream from a selection of over 2200 films, and tell your friends! (Open an AroVision account here.)
T-Shirts ($50) - the last print of the iconic AroVideo T-shirt in either black, dark grey or dark green. Click through for size options.
DVD Fair Leftovers - we have hundreds of good quality DVDs available upstairs in our store at 3 for $10 (or make us an offer) that must be cleared. Alas, we are no longer accepting donations.
PRE-PAID RENTAL PRODUCTS (IN-STORE)
Purchase a Rental Subscription, a Round-Trip Concession Card or an In-store 10-Trip Card, but on the following terms:
As we can no longer guarantee that we will be trading a full year going forward, I wish to advise customers that all future purchases of pre-paid products after the date of this notice (8/11/22) may not be honoured for the full term, and that any remaining portion would be considered a token of support for the business and our efforts to find safe custody of the collection.
However, for those who have purchased a pre-paid product prior to this date, I can offer the assurance of a refund to the value of the proportionate period or number of unused units if the event we cease trading before the expiry date.
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In the event that I do not find funding relief to facilitate this plan, I will be forced into a position of disestablishing the library and the website, and selling off its assets in the very near future.
I am confident, however, that with your help we will find a way through the next six months and will be sure to give plenty of advance notice about when a "transition day" can be confirmed.
In the meantime, I encourage you to use our streaming service and the library on Aro Street while it’s still there.
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NEW OPENING HOURS
Friday - Saturday 10am-7pm
Sun, Tues - Thurs - 10pm-6pm
Monday - CLOSED
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