After more than two years, Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre has reopened with a newly renovated space. Independent film screenings and special programming are back at the cinema, with great events planned for this spring and summer, and more on the way.
Having first closed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cinema Arts Centre decided to use the opportunity to embark upon a large scale renovation of its lobby and three theaters. The work on the Cinema Arts Centre includes brand new seats, carpeting, ceilings, an updated ventilation system, as well as new paint and carpeting in the lobby and new seats and tables in the café, which are set to arrive any day. The floors in the theaters have also been re-profiled to create better sight lines, the bathrooms have been refurbished, and additional handicap seating has been added to the theaters.
During its closure the Cinema Arts Centre stayed busy presenting pop-up and drive-in screenings along with a diverse range of virtual programming, some of which will continue in some capacity into the future.
The Cinema is now open for in-person programming, and tickets are on sale for a number of films and special events this year. One series that particularly excites that staff at the Cinema Arts Centre is the Maritime Film Festival.
A celebration of Long Island’s coastal culture, the multi-day Maritime Film Festival, will explore topics such as Long Island’s bay houses, the first all-female crew of sailors to circumnavigate the globe, and the Bungalows of Rockaway. The festival will feature a number of special guests including filmmakers, subjects of the films, and experts on Long Island history. You can purchase tickets or find more information about these and other events on the Cinema Arts Centre website: www.cinemaartscentre.org
“It has been a long road to get us to this point.” Said Nate Close, director of communications at the Cinema Arts Centre. “We experienced a few delays along the way but we are thrilled to be finally reopening as an even better version of the Cinema Arts Centre. With our comfortable new seats and more modern theater design, we are excited to once again provide a space where people in our community can come together. We want to sincerely thank our members, donors, and everyone in our amazing Huntington and Long Island communities who made this possible.”