Spotlight on... Ambassador Network

The Park Circus Film Ambassador Network is a volunteer community of film fans who contribute to some of Park Circus' most exciting projects as grassroots advocates, getting involved with screenings in their local area. A vibrant conversation between avid bloggers, genre aficionados, format enthusiasts, local film clubs and more, the Network connects people with one another, with their favourite films and with their favourite cinemas.

This week Ellis Curmi, an Ambassador based in Australia, discusses how his long-time passion for film eventually transformed into a dream job.

Every superhero has their origin story; a trauma that influenced the trajectory of their lives forever. For me, that trauma was watching Monsters Inc in the cinema back in 2001 at the tender age of four. The first scene scared me half to death, but, for the rest of the film, I was filled with a sense of awe.

I’m not sure why I am drawn to film above anything else. I mean things like science are cool - but then again so is teleporting into a fictional world that has been lovingly crafted by others. From the early years of high school, I would spend hour upon hour consuming visual content. Whether it be in the form of movies or television, I would binge- watch whatever I could get my hands on, from the latest blockbuster to the freshest tv shows.

This was before the era of streaming platforms like Stan or Netflix, as hard as it may be to imagine such a time! I have distinct memories of going to the local video shop with my family, comparing covers and reading synopsis after synopsis. I look back at these memories with great fondness and nostalgia.

I would often ask my local cinemas and video shops for their old movie posters of my favourite films, some of which were absolutely gigantic. These posters would consume entire walls of our house. I can only imagine that to an outsider, our home would have appeared to advertise more films than the local cinema.

It was at this stage in time when I decided that I wanted to be an actor. After receiving an award for excellence in performing arts at school I started to train in acting, undertaking courses with NIDA, TAFTA and ACDA. I was convinced that this was what I wanted to do with my life until I actually sat in front of the camera. I immediately realised that the place where I belonged was behind the camera, creating the worlds which I adored so much when I was a kid.

My love for film was reinvigorated when I was lucky enough to meet my cinematic idols Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright. To this day I remain beyond thankful for their thoughtfulness and generosity. (If you are reading this, I thank you once again!) At this time a lot was happening in my personal life and this gesture went a long way.

At age 18, I was fortunate enough to get my dream job working at Lido Cinemas, a small boutique cinema in Glenferrie Road, Melbourne. I was able to get the job by researching the cinema and its management team, and going in every week and re-introducing myself to the manager until I was successful. To this day, I’m still not sure if I got the job because I showed a keen passion, or simply as a means of getting me to shut up!

Lido Cinemas has been a home for me, a place that has allowed me to flourish and grow as a person. I get to talk about movies all day, every day, watch as many films as my heart desires- and of course decorate my house with the newest movie posters. Best of all, I knew I was good at it.

Over my five years at the cinema, I have worked in front of house, as a local area marketer, a marketing assistant in head office and most recently as a cinema supervisor, receiving multiple awards for excellence within the company throughout my time. The truth is that this is mostly because of the excellent team around me, who have supported and taught me so much.

At this time I undertook a Diploma of Screen and Media at Swinburne University. I wanted a practical understanding of what went into making a film, and friends who had completed both the bachelor and diploma had advised me to go for the hands-on diploma.

I have always been an autodidact (a self-taught person) and thought that undertaking a practical course like this would complement the hours of theory work that I was putting in online. I realised quickly that my favourite side of the industry that we covered was in writing, and I have since written a television show, for which I am in the process of applying for funding.

The one thing at uni which we did not learn about was the business side of the industry. This fascinates me. You see, we were taught how to produce movies wonderfully, but not once did we touch on the ins and outs of working for a studio or distributor. What exactly does this involve?

Over the last few years, I have cultivated a burning passion for business, one that equals my intense love of film. For this reason, my quest to find a career in the business side of the film industry has begun. I have been fortunate enough to have been able to speak with contacts from all the major studios/distributors over the past year or so. These people have been so generous with their time, and my gratitude for their support remains strong.

It is now clear that it is within this sphere that I feel I can offer the most to the industry that I love so dearly, in pursuit of my ultimate goal: to help brighten the lives of others in the same way that film has illuminated mine.

And so begins my journey…

We want to connect with those who feel most passionately about the films we represent – our audiences. If you've got a passion for film and would like to take part, get in touch with our Network Manager, Kate Timperley: [email protected]