Join us this July as we introduce the Political Film Festival - a four-day exploration of the dynamic interplay between cinema and American politics.

Curated and hosted by former Long Island Congressman Steve Israel, the Political Film Festival will delve into the relationship between Hollywood and political arena to help us contextualize the history of media’s influence on politics.

Over the course of four days, the festival will feature a multimedia lecture by Rep. Steve Israel, as well as screenings of the groundbreaking political films Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Best Man, & The Candidate - followed by discussions with Rep. Steve Israel, Rep. Peter King, political strategist Dr. Basil Smikle, and film executive Michael Nathanson.

Schedule:

Tuesday, July 9th at 7:30 PM

Campaigning On Celluloid: How Cinema Informs and Reflects Changing Political Communication on Screen

A lecture with former Congressman Steve Israel

Join Steve Israel, former Congressman, owner of Theodore's Books, and director of the non-partisan Cornell University Institute of Politics and Global Affairs, as we kickoff our four-day Political Film Festival with a lively talk exploring the fascinating ways that American politics and Hollywood cinema have shaped each other, featuring campaign ads from Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Reagan; numerous clips from classic movies, including: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, State of the Union, The Last Hurrah, The Candidate, The American President, Primary Colors, and Swing Vote; and excerpts from hit television series House of Cards and Veep. Whether you’re a political junkie or a movie buff, this will be richly rewarding deep-dive into the complex relationship between politics and movies.

Tickets: $16 Public | $10 Members

Buy Tickets

Wednesday, July 10th at 7 PM

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Guest Speakers: Rep. Steve Israel, Rep. Peter King, & Michael Nathanson, film executive and former head of MGM

Decades before the “deep state” entered the parlance, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington explored how the corrupting power of money shapes American politics. When the idealistic young Jefferson Smith (in the role that catapulted Jimmy Stewart to fame) winds up appointed to the United States Senate, he gains the mentorship of Senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains). However, Paine isn't as noble as his reputation would indicate, and he becomes involved in a scheme to discredit Smith, who wants to build a boys' campsite where a more lucrative project could go. Determined to stand up against Paine and his corrupt peers, Smith takes his case to the Senate floor. When the film premiered at Washington's Constitution Hall on October 17, 1939, over 45 real-life senators and 250 House members were in the audience. Most of the senators attending the premiere responded with good humor to the Hollywood treatment, with its realistic reproduction of the Senate Chamber. Several, however, were not amused. Majority Leader Alben Barkley complained that it made the Senate look like "a bunch of crooks." Years later, director Frank Capra alleged that several senators had actually tried to buy up the film to prevent its release.

Tickets: $16 Public | $10 Members

Buy Tickets

Thursday, July 11th at 7 PM

The Best Man

Guest Speaker: Rep. Steve Israel

35mm Screening!

Presidential politics may loom larger and darker since Watergate, but this disenchanted peek behind the scenes of an American election still bites and remains relevant, thanks to a Gore Vidal script (based on his own play) which dissects with gleeful cynicism the machinery of tub-thumping, image-building and chicanery that goes into motion as rival presidential candidates Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson fight to cut each other's throats. Russell (Fonda) is a Harvard man, an intellectual, and Secretary of State. Unlike most people around him he has principles: he wants to wage a scrupulously honest campaign for the nomination. But Cantwell (Robertson), Russell's opponent, plays dirty, and Russell must decide whether he should use Cantwell's own methods to fight back. The personal battle is played against the noise and glitter of a wide-open convention, done up for the screen with superb realism. Vidal weaves in memorable lines galore, like the Southern senator's all-purpose reply to awkward questions about how many integrated schools there are in his state (“None, thank God, but we're making remarkable progress”), and the film features a whole string of brilliant performances from Ann Sothern, Edie Adams, and Shelly Berman, along with Lee Tracy, in his recreation of his Broadway role of the dying, crusty ex-President whose endorsement is sought by both candidates.

Tickets: $16 Public | $10 Members

Buy Tickets

Friday, July 12th at 7 PM

The Candidate

Guest Speaker: Rep. Steve Israel & Basil Smikle, political strategist and policy advisor

35mm screening!

This timely portrait follows the fictional senate campaign of Bill McKay (Robert Redford), a young, passionate, and photogenic progressive who believes in “A Better Way.” Shot on location with political correspondents playing themselves and real politicians interacting with Redford’s fictional campaign, The Candidate feels more like a political documentary than a fictional film. Acting as a condemnation of the media’s role in the careful cultivation of politicians’ images, The Candidate depicts the transformation of idealism turned political doublespeak. Michael Ritchie’s witty and thought-provoking tale is more than just a history lesson. It’s a warning about the nature of political campaigning that’s still relevant to this day, and its premonitions about the rise of celebrity candidacy is scarily predictive. Some older films feature politics that are out of touch, but fifty years after its initial theatrical release, The Candidate is suited perfectly for today.

Tickets: $16 Public | $10 Members

Buy Tickets

Dates: July 9 – 12, 2024

Venue: Cinema Arts Center, 423 Park Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743

Click Here for more information.