Lights, camera, action! Your dream career in the movie exhibition business can start with Cineplex’s summer internship program.

Nothing beats a night at the movies if you’re a film junkie. Have you ever wondered how you could be a part of it all? A career in the movie biz is more reachable than you think.

Answering the call

Cineplex’s summer internship program can help you work toward your dream job behind the scenes making movie magic happen. We spoke with film lover Tianna Fischer, who went from ripping tickets in Calgary to coordinating event-cinema programs in Toronto after answering the internship casting call.

“I thought the internship looked like a cool opportunity. I was just out of school, looking to get my career started,” Fischer said. “So I signed up because I thought it would be a great way to develop professional skills and get a foot in the door.”

She was right. Now, only a year after completing her summer 2016 internship, she has her own office in Cineplex’s Toronto headquarters and a job that’s integral to the company’s country-wide operations: she’s the coordinator for the event-cinema department, which puts special productions such as live theatre, the MET Opera and more on the screen. It’s a big job, perfect for someone, like Tianna, who started with the company as a theatre hourly cast member.

Big things have small beginnings

In 2008, Tianna was popping popcorn for her local Cineplex theatre. From there she says the company helped her climb the ladder to the managers’ office, where she worked as an assistant manager through her BA in film studies at the University of Calgary.

“Cineplex has excellent training programs. Back when I was a team leader and cast trainer, I would go through training that would help me develop my leadership skills. Cineplex is great for that,” she said.

Tianna heard about the internship through the company. She applied, and a short while later she was bustling around Toronto working behind the scenes of TIFF, networking with industry icons, shipping films between theatres and so much more. She even got to watch feature movies before their releases! We’re jealous.

“A great way to learn”

At one time during her internship, she was the centre point between distributors and theatres. Her job was to make sure theatres had movies to show. So in other words, the summer 2016 box office sell-outs you loved were made possible—in part—thanks to her.

"The internship allowed me to get my hands dirty. I had a ton of responsibilities but still had a lot of support. It was a great way to learn.”

Tianna took a risk moving from Calgary to Toronto to chase her dream. But as luck would have it, a job was waiting for her while she was wrapping up her internship.

“While I was booking private screenings that were happening alongside TIFF, I applied for this job, which opened right at the end of the summer. My internship was complete on the Friday, and I started on the next Monday, a week after TIFF ended.”

Next time you go to the movies, think about how your experience has come to be. Think about the interns who have helped make your night possible. Who knows? You could be the next one to join them.