Demonstration planned at Cinema Arts Centre over Dylan Skolnick firing

Dylan Skolnick, former co-director of the Cinema Arts Centre, was fired on Sept. 1. Credit: Dawn McCormick

A demonstration outside Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre is being planned for Saturday at 5 p.m. over the recent firing of the venue’s co-director Dylan Skolnick.

The cinema’s board fired Skolnick Sept. 1 for what it described as "serious misconduct," with no further explanation.

More than 130 potential demonstrators opened an email sent late Monday, according to Chris Thaler, founder of the group Save Our Cinema. Attendees were instructed to pick up flyers and posters Wednesday night at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Huntington. Thaler said Wednesday’s turnout would give him a better idea of the size of the demonstration, but he is hoping for a crowd of roughly 500.

The goal "is to get as many community members out to show their support for Dylan and their lack of confidence in the board, and the direction that it’s taking the cinema," Thaler said. He said the plan is for a peaceful demonstration "that’s respectful but loud."

Cinema Arts Centre did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Skolnick, 58, the son of the cinema’s founders, has run the theater since 2010. He has said he was fired for working as a freelance film booker on company time, but that he had permission from the board to do so and was not doing work that competed with the cinema.

Skolnick’s attorney, Vess Mitev, sent a letter to the cinema on Monday calling the firing "unlawful, illegal and retaliatory."

On Sunday, a longtime cinema guest speaker, Glenn Andreiev, began seeking donations to pay for Skolnick’s legal costs on Gofundme.com. As of Wednesday it had raised more than $6,800.

Skolnick said the outcry over his firing has been the "silver lining" in a difficult situation. "It has been wonderful how people have stepped up to support me and the cinema itself," he said.