The CAC Youth Advisory Board Inspires Young Cinema Lovers
The Cinema Arts Centre's Youth Advisory Board is a group of volunteers age 14 - 25 who meet monthly to plan and promote special events for young people at the CAC. YAB member Vincent Biello shares his thoughts on his history and involvement with the Cinema:
Like many things in my childhood, my earliest memories of the Cinema Arts Centre stem from something my grandma heard about from Barbara Walters. In 2008 I was just beginning to develop my lifelong love of cinema and my taste was eclectic and refined; I adored seminal Hollywood masterpieces like Shark Tale and underseen indie gems like Toy Story 2. Ok, fine, I was six years old and I had six-year-old taste. Sue me. But while I was busy analyzing every frame of Spy-Kids 3-D: Game Over, Geraldine Biello was busy breakin’ it down to “Jai Ho!” She had just seen Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire and she needed to let the world know.
I think my grandmother’s estate is owed some sort of compensation from Fox Searchlight for the work she did in promoting this movie. She brought it up in phone calls, during dinners, and probably shouted its praises out her car window when she drove past sidewalks. She made it her business to make sure it was seen by anyone and everyone that crossed her path - including her six year old grandson. While my actual memories of seeing Slumdog Millionaire are pretty much non-existent, what began as a simple trip to the movies turned out to be so much more; it was my first of what turned out to be a lifetime's worth of movie memories at the Cinema Arts Centre.
Growing up just 20 minutes away from the Cinema Arts Centre helped a childhood love of silly little cartoons blossom into a lifelong dream of being a filmmaker. I had access to first run indies, cult classics, old Hollywood favorites and everything in between. It was a golden opportunity to develop into a cinematic omnivore undeterred by genre, release date or language barrier.
If there is a feeling to be felt I have felt that feeling at the CAC. I’ve cried good tears at Punch-Drunk Love and bad tears at Manchester By The Sea. The Muppets Christmas Carol made me feel right at home while Perfect Blue left me questioning my own sanity. Crash (1996) made me physically ill and Moonstruck made me believe in love. I was so emotional after getting to see Blue Velvet on the big screen that I ruined what should’ve just been a peaceful car ride home with an extended rant about the beauty of innocence and the banality of evil. I even got to feel like a hero when I was applauded for telling a guy who kept saying “MY BOAT’S IN THIS MOVIE” to shut up at a sold out screening of The Irishman. At a time when most cinephiles are forced to choose between a limited library of compressed files on overpriced streaming services, having a place where I can see great movies the way great movies are meant to be seen is such a privilege.
Now as I look to turn my lifelong dream of making movies into a reality, the Cinema Arts Centre has once again provided me with an incredible opportunity: The Youth Advisory Board, a group of passionate young film fans dedicated to sharing our love of cinema. Despite the fact that I have only been a member since January, the YAB has already helped me meet people my age who share the same passion and desire to make movies and preserve the theatrical experience. It brings me so much joy to say that we are currently working on organizing the first ever Long Island Youth Film Festival for September 2024. The LIYFF aims to give young local filmmakers an opportunity to see their work exhibited on a big screen and it is undeniably the coolest thing I have ever worked on. Click Here for more information on the LIYFF.
Throughout the course of my life the Cinema Arts Centre has been nothing but a constant source of joy; outside of my house I don’t think there is a place on earth I have spent more time. I grew up both physically and artistically, I have seen so many different movies with so many different people at different points in my life and have made countless memories. So thank you Grandma and by extension Barbara Walters, Danny Boyle, Dev Patel, the wonderful people at Fox Searchlight, oh of course all my reps who have been there with me since day one, and, to my kids if you’re watching this, go to bed.
The Youth Advisory Board has many great events planned:
Friday, April 12th at 7:00 pm - FRANCES HA, starring Greta Gerwig
Sunday, April 28th at 6:00 pm - Open Mic Night Fundraiser
Friday, May 17th at 6:00 pm - THE HUNGER GAMES, with Pre-Party at 6pm and film at 7pm
We also just completed our Short Filmmaking Contest - see all the films here, and check out the winning film, by filmmaking team The Family Skeleton, on the big screen before all of our regular films for one month beginning next Friday.
If you or someone you know is interested in joining the YAB, please contact Ted Cavooris at ted@cinemaartscentre.org
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