Sag Harbor cinema to be restored and made into local arts center

The iconic Sag Harbor cinema, which was burned in a fire that ripped through Sag Harbor’s main street in December, will be restored, reports Behind the Hedges.

Sag Harbor Partnership, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is purchasing the historic building from the current owner, Gerald Mallow. There are plans currently in place for the cinema to become host to a new not-for-profit by the name Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center (SHCAC). It will serve as an educational arts center, doing outreach and programming. The center would be open year-round.

There will also be a cafe in the downstairs of the building. The building’s renovations have been planned by Allen Kopelson of NK Architects.

Programming for the arts center is being planned by Guilia D’Agnolo Vallan and Andrew Fierberg. Guilia D’Agnolo Vallan is a film writer and curator of the Venice Film Festival, and Fierberg is a member of the Film Forum’s finance committee.

Programming will have a focus on cinema tradition. Local schools will also benefit from the programming, as the programmers plan on incorporating opportunities for the institutions to get involved.

Many of the beloved qualities that make the building unique will be preserved—the “Sag Harbor” sign was saved in the fire and will be repaired. The curved slope screen in the main theatre will also be preserved.

An anonymous donor has made a $1 million donation to the restoration project, but donations of any size to the Sag Harbor Partnership would be of substantial benefit to the community.

• The Sag Harbor cinema is saved! It will be a new local center for the arts [Behind the Hedges]
• Sag Harbor fire is likely a mystery forever [NY Post]
• What you can do about the fire [Sag Harbor Partnership]