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Alastair Ross

Cinema and AV Technician
Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre

Alastair has always had a love of film and music and his boy-hood dream of running a cinema has come to fruition with his role as Cinema and AV Technician at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre. When he’s not running the cinema you may find Alastair at Vinyl Countdown or DJing on Most FM.

What is your role?
My role is to prepare and programme film content for the Len Lye Centre Cinema. I get to liaise with clients, artists, filmmakers and distributors to ensure the cinema can offer a wide ranging and entertaining film programme. I am also the tech guy on-site and operate the projection and sound equipment for presentations and events.

How long have you worked here?
I started as a volunteer at the Gallery shortly after it reopened in 2015, I was always a huge fan of the Govett-Brewster and spent a lot of time there as a teenager and always dreamt of working there one day.

What do you love about your role or favourite thing about working here?
As a little boy I used to pretend I ran my own cinema and would design my own posters and decorated my bedroom door as if it was a cinema entrance. I spent a lot of time as a child in the local State Theatre and the Mayfair, cinema was a big obsession, so to be able to programme and run a cinema now is a dream come true.
I really count myself lucky to work with such a dedicated and resilient group of people who give everything they have to make the Gallery such a wonderful place.

What were you doing previously?
I was working for the New Plymouth District Council in the contact centre fielding calls about a huge variety of subjects – they’re a hard-working bunch in that place.

How do you get to work?
In a not very inspiring fashion, I drive, I have two kids that need to be dropped off in two different directions each morning.

Best film you have put on at the cinema and why?
I am always in search of something really great to show, so that film could well be yet to come, but I did really enjoy playing Heathers last Valentines, it’s kind of an anti-valentine film and we had the Ladies 80’s Choir play beforehand which was really fun, a great combo.

Are you a dog or a cat person?
I can’t choose, we had our last cat for 18 years and it was one of the worst days of my life when I had to have her put down. We currently have an amazing corgi named Wilbur who is basically my second son.

Can you describe your life outside of work in three words?
Busy with kids

What is your favourite question or comment to hear from a customer?
I love it when visitors to the cinema come up to the front counter and tell us that the movie really affected them – we have had a lot of that lately especially with the recent NZIFF – we have a few teary audiences. Good films create strong responses. I also work part-time at the Vinyl Countdown and have some great banter with the customers, my two favourite subjects music and film.