To the editor,
While we celebrate the addition of first-run films to Glazer Hall’s programming slate (detailed in your May 24 editorial and May 21 story), we were disappointed that both pieces seemed to suggest the town of Palm Beach has lacked cinema options since 1980.
The Society of the Four Arts has screened a Friday Film Series here in Palm Beach every season since the 1950s. The series presents entertaining selections, including second-run gems, documentaries and films that complement the Four Arts’ season programming. Some screenings feature a discussion by a participant in the film or an expert on the film’s subject.
In the 2025-2026 season, the Four Arts screened 17 films, including eight that premiered in 2024 and four that premiered in 2023. Several received Oscar and BAFTA nominations, indicating the high quality of cinema selected by our film committee of Four Arts members, many of whom are Palm Beachers.
Five films featured discussions from participants or experts, including director Lee Shulman of the documentary “I am Martin Parr,” producer Kelly E. Ashton of “Lilly,” Palm Beach Zoo CEO Margo McKnight for “Checkpoint Zoo,” and Kravis Center CEO Diane Quinn for “Cirque du Soleil: Without a Net.”
The Friday Film Series had over 4,850 tickets sold, and in the past few seasons the series has averaged between 4,500 and 5,200 tickets sold.
The Shiny Sheet already has written about the Four Arts new films and screenings’ location for the 2026-27 season at the Palm Beach Day Academy as part of its reporting on our ongoing campus renovations (detailed in your May 14 story).
So, while your readers look forward to seeing “Spider-Man” or “The Odyssey” this summer at Glazer Hall, we wanted to remind them that the Society of the Four Arts is also a regular place for cinema here in Palm Beach.
David Darby, The Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach
David Darby is head of marketing and communications at The Society of the Four Arts.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Letter: The Society for the Four Arts also is a place for cinema
Reporting by Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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