It cannot be said enough, how much Black Lives Matter. We say their names, among countless others: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and too many more. We shamefully add to that list Long Islander William Ford, Jr., who in 1992 was murdered by Mark Reilly in “self-defense.” His story is memorialized in Yance Ford’s Oscar-nominated documentary,
Strong Island
. Long Island was and continues to be one of the most
segregated suburban communities
in America. Systemic racism is here, and it takes willful ignorance to deny its existence. This isn’t to say that minds cannot be changed. We are all permitted to and reserve the right to receive information, gain new perspective, and to admit when we are wrong.
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June is Pride month, for which we celebrate the Stonewall Riots of 1969. A police raid erupted into a violent, undeniable show of retaliation from the LGBT community, including the late, great Marsha P. Johnson. Black Trans Lives Matter. We also mourn Tony McDade, Nina Pop, and too many more. In that same vein, all of the liberties and freedoms we hold today were hard-fought, before won: abolition, workers’ rights, suffrage, and civil rights still. Martin Luther King Jr., heralded today for his pacifism, was so hated, he was assassinated on April 4th, 1968. In the wake of his murder, it was only on the sixth day of widespread protest that the new Civil Rights Act of 1968 was passed.
COVID-19, which magnified and exposed our societal failings and inadequacies, and has disproportionately affected communities of color, had prompted the tenet that to wear a mask is not just for your sake, but for the protection of others- to assume that you could have COVID-19, and can spread it without knowledge, nor symptoms. This is the same for the plague of prejudice. We have to assume that we harbor it in order to play a part in diminishing its spread. It is not enough to not be racist- it is our collective duty to be anti-racist. Cinema Arts Centre has a living, evolving
page on our website
devoted to resources to listen, learn, and take action, as it is central to our mission to facilitate learning (including our own) and to invite community participation and contribution.
The Cinema Arts Centre joins the collective call to action against systemic racism. We can be proud that our mission - to use the power of film to expand the awareness and consciousness of our community - directly combats ignorance, hate, and oppression. Those who have remained with us since the “sheet-on-the-wall” days, when we were known as New Community Cinema, know we have a long history of using the power of film to do social good. That history continues. We, with our members, strive to continue listening, learning, and taking action, with earnest intent. We hope you’ll join us. We are re-evaluating how much of our audience represents the larger community we should service. Who has access to our programming? How diverse is our programming? How much of our programming involves Black or POC-owned businesses? How much of our staff and board are Black or POC? If you are an interested Black member of our community, please let us know how we can serve you and amplify your voice. Whether that be through membership, programming, collaboration, or criticism, please reach out to us at
info@CinemaArtsCentre.org
.
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Keep the Cinema Going by Supporting Our Spring Membership Sale
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Our
Spring Membership Sale
is happening now. There are discounts on basic levels of membership and a special offer for newly upgrading members.
Becoming a member, or renewing or
upgrading
during our sale is a great way to support the Cinema during our shut-down, which contributes to our local quality of living in so many ways.
When we reopen, we will add one day for every day we were closed to the expiration dates of all current members after we reopen.
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CAC Operations Director Ryan T. Perry Directs Short Film to Premiere in Art of Brooklyn Film Festival - Online June 9
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Ernest Messages
, directed by CAC's own Ryan T. Perry, will be screening online as part of the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival in 'The Game of Life' shorts block on
Tuesday, June 9 at 7PM EST.
TALKBACK: After the screening at 8pm, there will be a filmmaker Q&A with Cinder Chou (director), Ryan T. Perry (director), and Marisa Chiang (writer/producer)
Congrats to Ryan T. Perry - we are so proud of you.
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In order to help support our community during these critical times, we are hosting the following resource lists. These are living documents that will evolve as we continue to learn, grow, and communicate with each other. We invite suggestions and feedback:
info@cinemaartscentre.org
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The Cinema Arts Centre is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. The mission of the Cinema Arts Centre is to bring the best in cinematic artistry to Long Island, and use the power of film to expand the awareness and consciousness of our community.
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Special Thanks to Our Community Newsletter Sponsor:
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Thanks to Our June Program Sponsors:
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Thanks to Stuart and Ginger Polisner for their ongoing support of our Real-to-Reel and Creativity Series.
Thanks to Lynn & Jonah Kaufman for their ongoing support of our Making Memories Programs.
When you visit a business that supports the cinema, please let them know how much it means to you.
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