Huntington
New York
Cinema Arts Centre Community Newsletter - March17, 2023
Arts and Entertainment
March 20, 2023
From: Cinema Arts CentreClick here to support the Cinema with a CAC Gift Card, which can be used for Tickets, Membership, and Cafe items. Click here for branded CAC and Cult Cafe merchandise.
Board Member Profile: Martin Butera
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Martin Butera came of age working in his father’s Long Island pizzeria where he learned the fundamentals of how to run a successful food
industry business. Martin is the owner of Butera’s restaurants, which include three Long Island locations in Woodbury, Bay Shore, and Sayville. He is also the co-founder and CEO of Butera’s Fine Foods, which is a manufacturer of packaged chicken meatball products for retail markets, established in 2013. In 1991, Martin, his brother Gary and wife Laurie opened their first restaurant. Butera’s restaurants have been a staple for Italian food lovers for over 25 years now. Martin has served as a Board Member for the Cinema Arts Centre since 2011. The Buteras have made remarkable contributions to the Cinema Arts Centre, including their recent co-presentation of our Academy Awards Night Fundraiser, in which they provided a delicious dinner for all of our guests.
Cinema Arts Centre: How did you first learn about the Cinema Arts Centre?
Martin Butera: Laurie and I have always been avid film enthusiasts. When we moved to Syosset from Long Beach in 1998, we became aware of the Cinema in neighboring Huntington and began visiting.
CAC: What are some of your favorite memories from your earliest days attending Cinema programs?
MB: When we first visited it seemed very special... like no other theater. The intimacy and sense of community really struck us. We would always drive around to the top parking area and walk down through the area that became the garden.
CAC: How did you start to become more involved with the Cinema Arts Centre as a volunteer?
MB: Looking to celebrate Laurie's 45th birthday in early 2009, I wanted to have a party for her at the Cinema. We invited a large group of friends to see a film ("Sunshine Cleaners") and then have drinks and dessert after. When I stopped in to arrange for the event, I entered the Sky Room where a meeting was being held to discuss expanding the snack area into a cafe. I remember Vic, Charlotte, Dylan and several others looking over plans. I introduced myself, told them what I was there for but then also asked if they would like any input from me on their project as it interested me and it was what I did! So, I sat in on the meeting, and three hours later I was officially involved!
CAC: How did you become a member of our Board of Directors, and why is Board service important to you?
MB: After my work on the Cafe project I was asked by Mike Plumer, over lunch at Munday's, if I had any interest in serving on the board. Wanting to continue helping, I was more than happy to join.
The Cinema Arts Centre is an institution. We have Charlotte and Vic to thank for starting and growing such a wonderful place. It is important to me that the institution survives, that it can be here for me and for the community not only for now but for the future as well.
CAC: You have made a lot of special contributions to the Cinema related to your expertise as a chef and restaurateur, such as consulting on our café, and designing food and film events. Can you talk about one of these projects that was particularly special to you?
MB: The most memorable event that I had the privilege to be part of was, without a doubt, the "Big Night" event. The event was held in 2013 as part of the fund raising drive to finance the digital projection equipment. The film "Big Night" was a personal favorite, I had the idea to show the film, then after present and serve a certain dish from the film in the Sky Room. In the film the two brothers create a rather intricate dish called Timpano, which is a large, baked pasta dish filled with just about everything you can imagine. It requires hours to bake and time to cool, you never are quite sure that it has come out right until you cut into it - as Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub do a very memorable scene in the film. What I remember most about the the evening was how my brother, Gary, and I had the same feeling of uncertainty in front of the 200+ crowded Sky room when we were about to cut into our Timpano just as they had done in the film. What a relief when we saw that it had come out as we had hoped!
CAC: What do you think are our most important goals for the future?
MB: Immediately since our recent struggles with the pandemic - the primary goal is for the Cinema Arts Centre to survive. But survive is not the only goal, the Cinema must also thrive. I would like to secure its future by making sure the institution and organization are healthy and strong enough to continue long after we - as individuals - are gone.
CAC: What would you say to someone who wanted to learn more about Board service at the Cinema Arts Centre?
MB: I would ask a question... are you passionate about what the Cinema means to you and do you want to commit yourself to helping it continue? If so... APPLY HERE!
All of us at the Cinema Arts Centre are so grateful for the contributions of Martin Butera and all of our Board of Directors
Thanks to everyone who made our Academy Awards Night Fundraiser a great success.
It was a sold-out event, and after a two-year hiatus, one of our most successful, thanks to all our attendees, sponsors, and the many volunteers who worked so hard to make it all happen.
Special thanks to our Circle of Friends volunteers who helped with planning every step of the way, coordinated and solicited our most successful Academy Awards Night raffle ever, and volunteered to check in our guests and serve food and refreshments on event night.
Thanks to members of our Youth Advisory Board who volunteered on event night to help make sure everything went smoothly.
Deep thanks to CAC Board Members Mike Troisi of Rivkin Radler, and Martin Butera; and special thanks to Laurie Butera. Rivkin Radler and Butera's Restaurant were Co-Presenters of this year's fundraising event. Rivkin Radler has presented our event since 2015! Butera's joined as a Co-Presenter this year and provided the most delicious Academy Awards Night dinner we have ever had.
Thank you to CAC Board Member Jude Schanzer who facilitated this year's ice cream sponsorship from All Star Specialties and helped to provide a sundae bar for all of our guests.
Thank you to Amy Lomele of Amy's of Huntington, who always transforms our room with gorgeous flower arrangements. Her attention to detail and her generosity are equally stunning
Many thanks to our contributing and supporting financial sponsors, Minuteman Press Huntington, Theodore’s Books owned and operated by former congressman Steve Israel, ShopRite, HireAHelper, Sinequanon, and DoorStop.
Thanks to the many businesses who contributed prizes to our massive raffle:
Angel Tips Nail Spa Huntington - (631) 421-1222
Diamond Drugs II - (516) 586-8733
Fujian Liquor Plaza - (631) 271-0004
Hands 2 Wellness - (516) 223-1234
Jag Salon - (631) 923-2110
Ken and Cathy Katz
L&L Camera - (631) 421-5535
Mr. Suds Flex Car Wash of Huntington -(631) 549-9274
Nail Pro 07 - (631) 271-7717
New Harbor Nails and Spa - (631) 425-7777
WOW Factor Wellness - (516) 457-7371
MaryAnne Yenoli
And thanks to everyone who attended. It was great fun and we love spending Oscar Night with you.
Listen to Amy Goodman's interview with John and Gabriel Shipton, who will appear with the film ITHAKA tomorrow at the Cinema Arts Centre.
CLICK HERE to listen to Democracy Now's Amy Goodman speak to John and Gabriel Shipton, or CLICK HERE for the transcript.
Julian Assange's Father and Brother, John and Gabriel Shipton will appear in person TOMORROW at the Cinema Arts Centre with our screening of ITHAKA, a documentary that shines a light into the darkest corners of society, highlighting what the most powerful nations will do in order to hide their crimes.
Saturday, March 18th at 7:00 PM
ITHAKA
In Person: Julian Assange's Father and Brother, John and Gabriel Shipton
Members $14 | Public $20
CLICK HERE for tickets.
Don't miss LONG ISLAND'S FORGOTTEN HEROES:
LONG ISLAND’S FORGOTTEN HEROES
Wednesday, March 22nd at 7:30 PM
Members $15 | Public $20
Q&A and Discussion after the Film with Director & Producer Matthew Simoni
Long Island’s Forgotten Heroes is a self-funded documentary that exposes the truth about the living conditions of many veterans and the way they are currently in positions of mental, social, and economic despair.
Bravo Foxtrot hired Hazy Sun Productions, in Glen Cove, to produce the film. The filmmakers follow Matthew Simoni and his wife Jade Pinto as they track down veterans across Long Island, some living in the woods.
CLICK HERE for tickets.
Join Us for more great conversations with Crossing Party Lines!
THU, MAR 30 · 7:00 PM EDT
Patriotism: What does it mean to you?
Some among us see patriotism as a duty to dissent, others a duty to uphold. At our second in-person conversation at CPL Long Island we will explore what patriotism means to each of us personally. We will reflect on the meanings of patriotism, based on our lived experience as fellow Americans. We might find that we have more in common than we thought, or perhaps less in common! Join us in this interesting and compelling conversation.
As always in Crossing Party Lines meet-ups, we appreciate the opportunity to learn from our differences. We encourage people of all political views and parties to join and participate. Our conversations are moderated to ensure that they are open and friendly.
CLICK HERE to RSVP on MeetUp!