Sag Harbor Cinema highlighted the importance of Sag Harbor resident John Steinbeck’s work and the community effort to preserve his historic Bluff Point home with a series of screenings, including both adaptations from Steinbeck’s novels, as well as films scripted by Steinbeck, and a Projections panel. 

The program started May 1 with a “Projections“ panel moderated by Steve Hamilton, the co-founder of Bay Street Theater. Participants will include Bret Johnston, Director of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas in Austin; Tommy John Schiavoni, who is a Councilperson for the Town of  Southampton; and Kathryn Szoka of Canio’s Cultural Cafe, sponsor of the “Steinbeck in Search of America” initiative (for more information on previous and future events, see www.caniosculturalcafe.org). 

“Projections” focused on Steinbeck’s work and illustrated the aims of the campaign to preserve his home in Sag Harbor and turn it into a world class writing center. 

This was the third event of Sag Harbor Cinema’s “Projections” series, an initiative that aims to activate the Cinema’s Rosenberg Workspace through collaborations with regional not-for-profit groups in order to amplify voices, begin conversations, and build audiences through the Cinema’s network and digital presence. “Projections” was created by Sag Harbor Cinema’s Education Committee Chair, Bill Collage.

Following the Projections Panel, was a rare 35mm showing of The Forgotten Village (1941), a documentary that Steinbeck wrote for director Herbert Kline that was shot in the Mexican states of Puebla and Tlaxcala with a non-professional cast of mostly indigenous residents of the region. Spencer Tracy was initially asked to voice Steinbeck’s narration, but since MGM would let him out of his contract, he was replaced by Burgess Meredith.