Baycrest

22 BrainMATTERS SPRING|SUMMER 2021 Q: Did a love of movies influence your career path? Ellis: I have childhood memories of seeing movies in India, where there was one single screen and about 800 people in one auditorium. When I came to Canada as a 16-year-old for my sister's wedding, I had no idea I would end up being the CEO of Canada's largest and most innovative cinema and entertainment company, Cineplex. Of course, I love movies – The Shawshank Redemption is my favourite, as are Bollywood stories like Slumdog Millionaire and Lion. What I love most is the immersive experience of watching a movie in a dark theatre with the big sound and big screen. It's a shared, social experience and something that can't be replicated at home. Q: Your family generously supported the creation of the 175-seat Jacob Family Theatre at Baycrest in honour of your mother. Can you explain why? Ellis: This was a labour of love for me. My family and I raised funds to build the Jacob Family Theatre at the Posluns Auditorium to bring the magic of the movies to Baycrest residents and patients. My mother always loved the movies and regularly went out to a theatre with her caregiver, even when she was a Baycrest resident. While she was at the movies, she was totally attentive and engrossed. When she passed away, we wanted to bring that escape through movies onsite to other Baycrest residents. Q: What are your thoughts on the future of the movie industry in the wake of the pandemic? Ellis: There's only one true theatre experience for movie-lovers — and that's watching the films they love on the big screen. As vaccines are rolled out and restrictions are lifted, we know Canadians are going to be looking for safe and affordable entertainment choices coming out of the pandemic. Promising data released by Abacus Data says that 53 per cent of Canadians miss watching movies in movie theatres, making it the most missed activity by Canadians. I'm really looking forward to reopening our venues across Canada. We've all been cooped up for a long time and are really longing to come back together as a community and take part in social experiences, which is so important to overall brain health. At Cineplex, our focus right now is preparing for the inevitable surge in interest and attendance as restrictions lift and we can welcome our guests back with open arms (physically distanced, of course). I am confident that Cineplex and the film industry as a whole will not only recover, but thrive. I believe we will all be enjoying the immersive movie theatre experience for many, many more years to come. BrainMatters asked Cineplex President & CEO and Baycrest Board Member Ellis Jacob about his career, his love of movies, his philanthropy and his predictions for the movie industry. Cineplex CEO Anticipates A RETURN TO CINEMAS FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL CONNECTION

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