“Working In The City” is The San Diego Sun’s feature Q&A series with downtown San Diego business operators. It’s a way to get to know the city by meeting the people who work here. This is the 19th in an ongoing series.
Company: Media Arts Center San Diego’s Digital Gym CINEMA (1100 Market Street, 2nd floor of the UC San Diego Park & Market building)
What happens here: Home of downtown San Diego’s only movie theater. Our one-of-a-kind theater (Digital Gym CINEMA) screens independent and foreign movies daily that otherwise would not be shown in this region. Plus, we educate youth and young adults on how to be digital storytellers.
Executive Director/Founder: Ethan van Thillo has lived in the City of San Diego for 34 years and is currently a resident of South Park. Typically drives to work and occasionally walks (45 to 60 minutes) or takes the bus (30 minutes).
Motto: Changing lives and perspectives through media arts.
Origin story: Our nonprofit has been in operation for 32 years, since I founded the San Diego Latino Film Festival. Digital Gym CINEMA moved into the UC San Diego Park and Market building about two years ago.
Employees: 26.
Best aspects of working downtown: Access to restaurants, San Diego Public Library, easy commute and great entertainment options.
Celebrity sighting: Love the memory of the late Bill Walton (who was 6-foot-11) sitting in one of the movie theater chairs and saying how comfortable it was. I will never forget that.
Is it hard to find staff to work downtown?: Fortunately, our nonprofit’s been able to help staff and volunteers/interns with parking access in our same building. So, we’ve not had any issues as of yet.
Shout outs: Love when local residents, such as our friends Paul & Lynne Bolton, come in to watch music-related movies at the Digital Gym CINEMA. And, love to cross-promote their cool concerts at Quartyard.
Parking: Parking is available in our building, inside UC San Diego’s Park & Market. If you want to see a movie at Digital Gym CINEMA, it’s only $5 to park for three hours.
Most surprising part of working downtown: Hearing all the fun music at the Quartyard music venue.
Funniest downtown work memory: Everyone dressed up for Comic Con every July. So much great and fun energy!
Scariest downtown work memory: Unfortunately, we witnessed a car that got in an accident and temporarily blocked the trolley line along Park Boulevard.
Big-event bumps: No. Our movie theater relies on community partnerships and those that love independent/foreign cinema.
Business friendliness of the city, on a scale of 1 (easiest) to 10 (hardest): Always been supported by City of San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture. It’s a crucial funding source for nonprofit arts organizations such as Media Arts Center San Diego.
How can the city be more business friendly: Continue to promote arts events and activities via the San Diego Tourism Authority. Continue to assist our youth and young adults with work readiness training and opportunities that focus on careers in Media Arts and filmmaking.
Worst aspects of working downtown: Typically, it’s a perception issue. Especially if there’s a baseball game going on. It’s always a challenge to get first-timers to our Digital Gym CINEMA to learn how easy it really is to park here.
If your business starred in a movie, what would it be called? “The Little Movie Theater That Could,” starring Gael Garcia Bernal or Diego Luna.
Best insider tip for running a downtown SD business: Partnerships and more partnerships. We all need each other to cross promote all the wonderful activities, entertainment and services we have here in downtown. SDSun
