Dylan Skolnick hosting first event since Cinema Arts Centre firing

Dylan Skolnick will present a screening of the silent film "Faust" with the band Invislble Czars performing the score. Credit: Rick Kopstein

The recently fired co-director of Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre, Dylan Skolnick, said he’s planning a series of "pop-up" movie screenings around Long Island and has set his first one: A silent film with a live band that was originally set to play at his former venue.

The new series will be called Cinema in Exile, Skolnick said, a nod to his firing last month that sparked a backlash from longtime members and led to a 250-person demonstration outside the venue on Saturday.

A version of Skolnick’s upcoming event was initially booked at the Cinema Arts Centre for Oct. 10 — a double feature of "Faust" and "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," both silent German Expressionist classics from the 1920s, accompanied by the band The Invincible Czars performing original scores. Founded by guitarist Josh Robins in Austin, Texas, The Invincible Czars regularly tour the U.S. and have stopped at the cinema several times over the past 10 years. When Robins heard about Skolnick’s firing and read the negative social-media posts about it, he began to have second thoughts about the gig.

"I mean, it was hundreds of comments," Robins said, pointing also to the more than 3,000 signatures on a petition calling for Dylan’s reinstatement at moveon.org. "In a community that’s not that big, that’s a lot of vitriol."

About two weeks ago, Robins said, he pulled out of Cinema Arts Centre and rescheduled with Skolnick to perform at the South Bay Cinema in West Babylon on the same day, Oct. 10. The event will include only one film, "Faust."

"We’re not saying we’re taking Dylan’s side and we’re never coming back," Robins said. "But it’s pretty bad optics right now for the cinema."

Skolnick, whose parents founded Cinema Arts Centre in 1973, began running it after his father's death in 2010. He said he was fired for freelancing as a film booker for other theaters but claimed he had permission from the Cinema’s board to do so. He also said his side work did not compete with the cinema.

A spokesman for Cinema Arts Centre said "the Invincible Czars always put on a great show and we wish them all the best."

Skolnick said his future Cinema in Exile events will feature other longtime Cinema Arts Centre guests such as film historian Foster Hirsch and artist Karl Bourke. Asked if his series aimed to compete directly with his former employer, Skolnick demurred.

"We’re just doing what we do," Skolnick said. "They’ll go ahead and do whatever they want to do. There’s plenty of programs for everybody, I’m sure."