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Finding Community in the Cinema - Scarlett McCann

(Pictured above: Scarlett, second from left with volunteers at our 2025 Academy Awards Night Fundraiser)

In 2019, as a 14-year old film lover, I joined the Cinema Arts Centre’s Youth Advisory Board, hoping to make some new friends and watch more movies. Now, at 19, I still recognize its importance in my life and the crucial role it plays in providing young people a space for creativity and connection in the sprawl of Long Island suburbia.

In 9th grade, at the recommendation of a social sciences teacher at Northport High School, a friend and I started attending YAB meetings at the Cinema. Each month, a group of 14 through 25-year-old film lovers gather to discuss movies and organize events that make the theater a hub for young people—screenings with after-parties, game nights, and open mics. Fvie years later, I find myself excited at the progress the group has made, with crowning achievements such as the Long Island Youth Film Festival (LIYFF), which will run for its second year from November 7th-9th of this year; the experience of curating the picks for weekly Night Owl Cinema; as well as programming monthly screenings of YAB-sponsored films. 

Finding community in this day and age can be difficult. Gone are the days when people had familiar gathering places—corner cafés, record stores, or even bookstores—where they weren’t just customers but members of a community. Today, spaces like the Cinema Arts Centre fill that role. For people across Long Island, young and old alike, the Cinema Arts Centre is what sociologist Ray Oldenburg calls a “third place”, a place outside of your home - the first place - or work - the second place - where you choose to gather, meet and enjoy company. Connected and inspired by the transcendent nature of film, the CAC hosts a comfortable and casual environment where young people can come together with their community to talk about and create art. It's a place for young creatives to learn from each other and their elders, about the industry, their talents, and the possibilities for the future. 

Personally, while a movie lover from a young age, I rarely follow through with my ideas for films. As I volunteered at the LIYFF last September, I was so inspired by my peers. After watching films by other young people and hearing their perspective during Q&A, I felt inclined to reach out to my community and ask how I could get involved to help them make their ideas come to fruition. And, beyond that, to see if I could finally take what I had worked on to make something myself. This sense of community fosters artistic growth, turning inspiration into action. Young creatives don’t just find their voice here—they find a place where they truly belong.

To learn more about the Youth Advisory Board, the LIYFF, and support for filmmakers, please contact Ted Cavooris, Director of Youth Outreach at [email protected].

Interview with Joseph Schramm

Joseph Schramm is the Director of the Town of Huntington's Office of Film & Television and the producer of the Made in Huntington Film & TV Festival, opening at the Cinema Arts Centre on April 3.

We recently spoke to Joe about his role and the inaugural Made in Huntington Film & TV Festival.

CAC: Tell us about the TOH Department of Film and Television and some of your goals and achievements.

JS: The Office of Film & Television was created to invite Hollywood to Huntington. Essentially, we are a marketing department for the town that targets location managers, assistant directors and producers to encourage them to shoot on location in Huntington. 

The reason for attracting location shoots and productions services is because video and film production is big business. 

Location shoots drive local economic growth by:

1. leasing private and public spaces, 

2. by hiring local talent, and 

3. by using local retail and professional services.

Huntington has been the host for film production for over 100 years. However, it was in 2022 that the Town board agreed to target this industry specifically to encourage them to come to Huntington.

There are good reasons for filmmakers to choose Huntington:

• Part of the Town is in the Union-authorized production zone making Huntington more cost effective than other parts of Long Island further to our East.

• We are close to NYC 

• We are convenient to get to....We can be easily reached by car, train, boat, or plane. 

• Our permit fees have been reduced to eliminate any barriers to entry for emerging filmmakers

• Our permit process is online and completely automated, making it easier and faster to get a permit.

• The town's combined services are equally committed to working with filmmakers to ensure they have a great experience

CAC: How did the idea for the Made in Huntington TV and Film Festival come about?

JS: The Made in Huntington Film & TV Festival offers us an opportunity to spotlight Huntington to filmmakers by celebrating the art and business viability of filmmaking. 

Basically, we sought an opportunity to encourage filmmakers, location managers and others related to the film & TV business to come to Huntington en masse. The festival and its Industry Day are doing that.

It came about because i was looking for a unique marketing "hook."

The festival makes so much sense....we have one of the nation's premier venues for celebrating filmmakers - -the Cinema Arts Centre - it was a natural outgrowth of the many opportunities that we have here in Huntington to serve filmmakers and content creators.

CAC: Tell us a little about how the festival is structured?

JS: The festival received almost 100 entries. Most entries were in a handful of the available categories for submission.

We have a jury of 15 leaders in the business of film & TV - from C-suite execs, to producers, "greenlighters", talent, educators, journalists, publicists and ad execs. They selected 36 entries inclusive of feature length and short subjects.

The screenings will be presented in 14 genre-specific sessions. We clustered the genre-related shorts into one session and we play it on the same day as features in the same genre. For example DRAMA shorts on the same day as DRAMA feature length subjects. As a result, each day has an overall focus on one of the following: DRAMA, DOCUMENTARIES, HUMOR, Arts, Music, and romance, etc.

The Festival also offers an INDUSTRY DAY for filmmakers on Saturday morning April 5 from 8:30 am to 12 noon. It features three moderated panel discussions. The Industry Day offers filmmakers an opportunity to meet other filmmakers and to network with business leaders who can be useful in getting works distributed commercially.  

CAC: What has been most exciting to you as you have worked so hard to coordinate this festival over the past many months?

JS: Meeting and speaking with so very many filmmakers. I am not a filmmaker. I am a marketer of entertainment. So, meeting the people who create that product is VERY exciting for me personally and professionally.

CAC: Why should someone attend the festival?

JS: Huntington is an amazing community that offers so much to do. The festival offers the community a unique, one-time-only chance to see and experience something new and different that is also entertaining, touching, moving and inspiring!

Plus it's only $20 per screening session and Cinema Arts members get their discount.....so why not attend more than one screening?

CAC: What else would you like people to know about the Made in Huntington TV and Film Festival?

JS: I would like people to know that many of the selections are in fact "made in Huntington" and that they are very interesting, creative and professional.

GET TICKETS HERE!

Cinema Member Sponsors Swing Program

Special thanks to longtime member Neil Moskowitz, M.D. for sponsoring our upcoming program, SWING RENDEZVOUS. This screening, Q&A, and live concert with the Swing Rendezvous Allstars (aka The Avalon Jazz Band) featuring Tatiana Eva-Marie is scheduled for Sunday, March 30 at 2:00 PM.

Neil shared with us, "I'm happy to be able to bring this film to our community, not only so folks can learn about this great music, but also to enjoy a sweet story. The film is funny and beautifully shot, providing wonderful insight into the nature of the underground jazz scene in NY."

Neil also shared that he has performed around the world with Tatiana Eva-Marie and many of the musicians featured in the film. Neil has a voice role in the film, and we may even see him jump in as a guest performer on Sunday!

The event will also include a Zoom interaction with Gérome Barry, director, co-writer, and actor in the film.

Join us for a delightful afternoon of romantic comedy and hot jazz! More information and tickets HERE!