The mission of the Cinema Arts Centre is to bring the best and broadest range of film and cultural programs to all audiences, lifting spirits, expanding consciousness, and building community.
The Cinema Arts Centre (CAC) is a year-round cultural hub presenting daily screenings of first-run American and international independent films, as well as over 500 annual special events including series, festivals, educational programs, and artist-enhanced screenings. Our vision is to offer the broadest range of film experiences while curating content of artistic excellence that sparks reflection, dialogue, and community.
Founded in 1973 as the New Community Cinema, CAC began by projecting films onto a bedsheet in a dance studio, with attendees bringing their own chairs and contributing donations for the next week’s film. Co-founders Vic Skolnick, Charlotte Sky, and their son Dylan united Long Islanders around a new film culture, creating a grassroots movement that helped shape the region into the culturally rich community it is today. Over the decades, CAC evolved into Long Island’s premier nonprofit cinema, now welcoming over 100,000 visitors annually to our Huntington facility, which houses three theaters and a multi-purpose space, our Sky Room Café which often hosts community activities for people of all ages.
While CAC’s founding mission was to expand access to high-quality films and build community through dialogue, our vision has grown to include broader cultural, educational, and community goals. We now offer a wide variety of programs that uplift many voices, foster empathy, and build cross-sector partnerships for social good. We continue to serve as a vital “third space” for the community, and through our activities we serve as economic engine, generating approximately $7 million of spending annually in our local economy, estimated through economic prosperity calculators created by Americans for the Arts and the Long Island Arts Alliance. What has remained constant is our deep belief in the power of film to connect people, inspire change, and create connections among residents and visitors.
