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Board Member Profile: Professor Martin Haas
Professor Martin Haas currently serves as Co-Secretary for our Board of Directors. A professor of History at Adelphi University, he has been part of the Cinema since its founding, providing a wide range of support and expertise. Recently Prof. Haas wrote a little about his experience with the Cinema Arts Centre, and we are delighted to share his words with you:
About a half century ago, I heard that a small cinema in Huntington was going to screen a classic Italian neo-realist film I had long wanted to see. From my apartment in Hempstead I took the Northern State Parkway east and then went north to the village. After a search, I ascended a narrow staircase on Main Street, east of 110, to a large room furnished like a living room with a screen in front. Just before the film began, a man with a beard as grizzled as my own and a woman wearing slacks who moved with the grace of a dancer, walked to the front of the room. They introduced themselves as Vic and Char, the directors, and welcomed the audience to the New Community Cinema.
From that moment I was hooked and committed to the dual missions of the Cinema which I attended hundreds of times in the next decades. That is, to show great films often seen nowhere else on Long Island and to inculcate a sense of community. To encourage active viewing of movies. Vic and Char, and later Dylan, were almost always present at showings. At times, they led discussion of the films; at other times, they were outside the theater to talk with us about the films one-on-one.
Over time, the Cinema expanded, soon creating a formal, not-for-profit organization with membership. Membership is vital, the life blood of the Cinema, because much of the admission price for viewing a film goes to the distributor. Now, according to New York State Law, the Cinema needs a Board of Directors. By this time I was a regular and volunteered to join the Board. Soon I was elected secretary of the Board of Directors.
As word of the Cinema Arts Centre spread, we clearly needed a larger space and soon moved to a former school owned by the Town of Huntington on Park Ave. The auditorium was a perfect space for screening films on a large screen which is the way they were created to be seen. Over time, the Cinema expanded to three screens, and changed its name to the Cinema Arts Centre. The Sky Room was built, allowing talk over coffee, wine, good healthy food, and providing a space for discussion, receptions, and live performances. Today I serve as Co-Secretary of the Board of Directors with the wonderful Sandy Friedman.
Throughout it all, the mission of the Cinema was always in the forefront. A couple of weeks ago I went to see Vertigo on the big screen in Cinema One. Once again, the Cinema Arts Centre provided a film experience that is unique on Long Island, to see Hitchcock’s classic as it was meant to be seen on the big screen. The film was followed by a discussion and, once again, the audience became a community. Keep in mind that the Cinema Arts Centre can function only with the support of the community--of each of you.
All of us at the CAC are grateful for the contributions of Prof. Haas and all of our Board Members. If you are interested in learning more about Board Service, please contact rene@cinemaartscentre.org.
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