RESTORE THE GREENPORT THEATER
OUR MISSION
North Fork Arts Center (NFAC) at the Greenport Theater is a non-profit cinema and live performance venue dedicated to enriching our community through the power of film, the performing arts, and arts education.
Our mission is to provide a welcoming and inclusive space where people can come together to be entertained, educated, and inspired by national and international cinema, live performances, community events, world-class lectures, and hands-on training experiences.
We are committed to using this cultural arts platform to have a positive impact on the lives of our diverse population while helping to keep businesses thriving year-round.
TAKE A BOW…
Thanks to all of you, we reached our goal of $1M in pledges!
HOLD THE APPLAUSE…
Because now, we must convert your pledges into dollars.
If you’ve made a pledge, it’s time to make your tax-deductible donation by entering it below.
If you haven’t had the chance to make a pledge, there's still time to become a Founding Donor and bring arts education and entertainment to our North Fork community for generations to come! All donations received prior to reaching our converted goal will be acknowledged as Founding Donors!
Below, please find a new progress bar for what's been converted!
Our Vision
To RESTORE the Greenport Theater we must raise $1M to guarantee:
PRESERVATION of the historic landmark as a creative hub.
EDUCATION for our community through cultural and creative opportunities.
COMMUNITY enrichment for the entire North Fork.
*Raising $1M is not to purchase the theater. Josh Sapan’s requirement to fundraise this sum is to guarantee that the non-profit has reserved funds and community support to ensure its future for generations to come.
EDUCATION
In a world filled with mass media and screens of all sizes, a world-class faculty will teach students by offering hands-on filmmaking experiences. Our goal is to teach the lovers of film how to be critical of what they watch, and intentional in what they make.
NFAC will serve students of all ages with programming for elementary students and high school students, adults and our vibrant senior community.
We will offer programs for musicians, filmmakers, poets, painters, actors, writers, and photographers, letting all pursue their passions in a safe, nurturing home. Our offerings will include seminars, discussions and Q&As with industry professionals.
Year-Round Offerings
Film Series
In four art deco theaters with combined seating for 620, North Fork Arts Center (NFAC) will present films year-round, curated by industry professionals.
Join us for screenings of:
• First Run Features • Foreign Films • Independent Films • Documentaries • Animation • Shorts • Student Films • Oscar Winners • Festival Winners • Local Filmmakers’ • Experimental
Film Club
Join the North Fork Arts Center’s vibrant and expansive film club! This will be a chance to be part of a community of film fans, and build support for programming that you, friends, and family would love to see. Film club members will help sustain our theater’s mission while enjoying ticket and concession discounts.
Special Events
North Fork Arts Center will program events that fascinate and educate, in addition to representing the needs and interests of our local community with offerings like:
• The North Fork Film Festival
• The International Short Film Festival
• The Animation Festival
and more!
Here are examples of the cultural vibrancy our team has already brought to the North Fork and will continue with the creation of the North Fork Arts Center:
Workshop with Celebrity Guest Artists like Emmy-Winning Actor, Giancarlo Esposito
Screenwriting Competition with celebrity judge Joe Pantoliano
Chazz Palminteri performs “A Bronx Tale” at the Greenport Theater.
Lecture Series with Academy Award-winning director Chris Wedge
Community Buy-In
In December 2018, MFI founders Tony Spiridakis and Lisa Gillooly fixed the heat, opened the theater in the winter, and showed movies over the Christmas holiday weekend. Over that long weekend, over 800 filmgoers braved the cold and packed the theater!
The Winter Film Series ran weekends from December to April to sold out houses. For 2 1⁄2 years, the Winter Film Series helped bring out over a thousand locals who came to enjoy classic films, family-friendly films, and award-winning festival hits! Local businesses donated gift cards, and sponsors were thanked in lieu of previews to the tune of music created by local artists.
The reopening was such a success that the curators were named the Northforker’s People of the Year!
“For their determination and generosity in creating a family-friendly activity that brings culture to the village at a time of year when locals and visitors have to search harder for entertainment, Tony Spiridakis and Lisa Gillooly, founders of the Manhattan Film Institute’s Winter Film Series, are the 2019 Northforker People of the Year.”
NFAC Board Members
Tony Spiridakis, Chairperson.
Co-founder of MFI, writer/producer currently in post-production on Inappropriate Behavior, feat. Robert De Niro, Bobby Cannavale.
Maria Marill, Vice Chair. Former EVP at Sony Pictures Studios, where she managed operations and oversaw all production services for over 30 years. She is currently the EVP/General Manager for the historic Culver Studios in Los Angeles. (Orient)
Noah Carter, Treasurer. Noah is a licensed CPA and seasoned financial professional. He serves as CFO of Penzance Management, overseeing all financial operations and driving strategic initiatives to maximize returns for investors and overseeing Human Resources and IT. (Greenport)
Liz Gillooly, Secretary.
Board Member at MFI, owner/captain of Layla Sailing, and elected Trustee in Southold Town. (Greenport)
Chris Wedge, Academy Award Winning Director, founded Blue Sky Entertainment, and created the Ice-Age animated film franchise. (Orient)
Charles Salice, Charles served as managing partner at Supply and Demand, one of the most productive advertising companies in the United States, his credits include several Taylor Swift Music Videos (Southold)
Advisory Board Members
Marc Cantone (Co-Chair), Emmy-nominated children’s TV producer, currently VP of Preschool Digital Content at Nickelodeon. (Aquebogue)
Kristie Lutz (Co-Chair) is an indie narrative, doc TV, and social impact producer who has worked both inside and outside of the Hollywood system for over 20 years. She is the founding partner of Kashif, a BIPOC-led non-profit creating original pathways for storytellers from historically marginalized communities. (Greenport)
Joel Ehrlich (Co-Chair) former Actor and senior executive at Marvel Entertainment and Warner Bros. and current marketing consultant and Adjunct Professor at The Fashion Institute of Technology. (Mattituck)
Estefany Molina, award-winning local multi-media artist, photographer, curator, and the Marketing Coordinator at RG/NY Vineyard (Greenport)
William Finkelstein, two-time Emmy Winning writer, currently the Creator and Executive Producer of his CBS hit series, “East New York.” (New Suffolk)
Peter Benedek, Founding Partner at the country’s leading talent and literary agency, UTA. (Southold)
Alex Mitow, entrepreneur and innovator in the visual art, event, film, and hospitality spaces, and co-founder of Superfine Art Fair, the most widespread independent artist art fair in the US. Alex has executive produced several short films and is developing a marketing, distribution, and production company focused on bringing independent filmmakers’ work to a wider audience. (Shelter Island)
Lucy Stille, owner of Lucy Stille Literary which helps authors and journalists develop and sell their material for film and television. (Orient)
Steven Kram, Co-Founder and CEO of Content Partners, LLC providing liquidity for royalties in various entertainment sectors. With 17 years as EVP and COO at William Morris Agency, his roles included Managing Director of William Morris UK and creator of William Morris Consulting Group. He has extensive legal experience from his time at ABC and is an active member of multiple entertainment and legal organizations.
Charles (Chuck) Simon, playwright, novelist, and author of Building A Successful Volunteer Culture. Worked in the non-profit world studying volunteerism and gender. He currently thinks with the leadership of Greenport High School in order to develop ways to further involve its students. (Greenport)
Executive Director:
Tony Spiridakis
Tony Spiridakis is an American film director, writer, actor, producer and playwright best known for “Queens Logic”. His other films include “Tinseltown,” “The Last Word,” “If Lucy Fell”, “Ash Tuesday” (aka “Beyond the Ashes”), “Driving To Ground Zero”, and most recently, “Inappropriate Behavior,” which he wrote and produced with director Tony Goldwyn, William Horberg, and Jon Kilik. The film stars Bobby Cannavale, Robert DeNiro, Rose Byrne, and Vera Farmiga. Projects in pre-production include: “Breath of Life,” the true story of the mayor of an Italian village during WWII who makes the ultimate sacrifice; and “Mike’s Place,” a true story about a blues bar in Tel Aviv during the Second Intifada that survives the devastation caused by a suicide bombing. In 2012 Spiridakis co-founded the Manhattan Film Institute (MFI). It has been a labor of love which has proven to be transformational for many aspiring artists. Spiridakis is a strong advocate for autism awareness, and calls Greenport, New York his home.
Creative Director:
Shannon Goldman
Shannon Goldman is the founder of Super G Films, a New York-based production company, where he directs, edits and produces commercials and brand films for some of the top fashion retail companies in the country. Shannon has also directed, edited and produced several feature-length films, many of which debuted at top film festivals and released to critical acclaim. He contributed as an early advisor to the Manhattan Film Institute, a boutique film conservancy in Greenport, NY, where he teaches filmmaking and serves as the Director of the MFI North Fork Film Festival. Born in Manhattan and raised between the city and the country, he currently lives on the North Fork.
Contact Us
Please reach out to get involved!
Sign up to stay in touch!