Arena Theater will join over 180 art house movie theaters in a nationwide showing of  “1984” IN PROTEST of President Trump’s proposed budget that would eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities entirely, the first time any president has proposed such a measure.

The screening is IN SUPPORT of freedom of speech, respect for our fellow human beings, and the simple truth that there are no such things as ‘alternative facts.’

The date was chosen because it’s the day George Orwell’s protagonist Winston Smith begins rebelling against his oppressive government by keeping a forbidden diary. The participating theater owners also strongly believe in supporting the National Endowment for the Arts and see any attempt to scuttle that program as an attack on free speech and creative expression through entertainment. This event provides a chance for communities around the country to show their unity and have their voices heard.