Film for all - An accessible approach towards audiovisual entertainment

Through Movies by Burswood, Ken Gibbons crafts an environment where the art of film can be appreciated by everybody. 25 years ago, Ken and his friends noted at a dinner discussion that the market for outdoor cinemas in Perth, Western Australia was mainly specialist in nature.

Ken wanted to create a family-friendly environment where both children and adults alike can have an enjoyable night together. This discussion resulted in the birth of Telethon Community Cinemas.

Human connections, the self and charity work

Charity work is an integral part of Ken’s life. His maternal grandfather was heavily involved in charity work, having been knighted in the Netherlands and Italy (as well as receiving a gong in Australia). His earliest memory of personal charity work is at the age of nine, when he would host puppet shows in his backyard shed for his school friends. During his university days, he ran cinema screenings, later operating his own cinema, drive-in and owning a video library.

Ken was associated with multiple organisations, including the Liquor Stores’ Association of WA as the president and fundraising for the Kids’ Cancer Support Group at the Princess Margaret Hospital. Wanting to combine his inclinations toward helping the community with his passion for film, he was inspired to start his new project. With his experience in the cinema industry, relevant contacts and charitable motivations, he made the move in launching Telethon Community Cinemas. Fuelled by ambition, he thoroughly researched venue locations and approached the Burswood Park Board with his ideas.

Initially, the project was intended to span over a single year. However, with the support of Ken’s friends and connections, Telethon Community Cinemas made $2,700 through charities during its first year, followed by $32,000 and $88,000 in consecutive years. Furthermore, his dedication towards helping children with health and physical challenges motivates him to work towards his goals and to make a difference.

He cherishes the moments that come with the role. A notable memory that he associates with his work is when he helped a family acquire free tickets for Spiderman, which was their terminally ill son’s favourite film (surprising them with the added bonus of the gold class experience). The following day, he received a thankful email from the mum of the family with a photo of the son’s grinning face attached to it.

Adapting to change and obstacles

Obstacles and challenges are a part of success. As a left-handed stutterer and gay man, Ken faced struggles due to his identity. “I felt I would be restricted in life because of those factors” he states. He observed that there are many famous actors that stutter, which motivated him further to pursue the creation of Telethon Community Cinemas. He decided to follow his heart and dreams and to adopt a philosophy for being grateful for what he has, as anything is achievable if one puts their mind to it.

From a technical standpoint, the introduction and normalisation of streaming services and platforms within households presents both benefits and concerns surrounding the film industry. Smaller, independent filmmakers are now able to distribute their films through streaming platforms and find their audiences through online distribution. Additionally, the average person now has a large library of content at their hands, provided that they pay the subscription fee. However, the convenience and accessibility afforded by these streaming platforms means that physical cinemas have to work harder to keep up. 

Telethon Community Cinemas decided to focus on the key concept of the overall experience of seeing a movie. Key concepts include a “focus on being a social night out for family and friend get togethers”, as well as low marketplace pricing and self-catering. As well as accessible pricing and self-catering, there are weekly free screenings that happen once a week. With these free screenings, Ken hopes to attract an audience that prioritises high quality experiences and spends more overall (compared to the subscription model).

Telethon Community Cinemas today

Regardless of technological shifts and challenges faced, Telethon Community Cinemas continues to be a formidable organisation. 2024 was a widely successful year, with a total of $1 million dollars being raised by the charity. Overall, the organisation has raised over $13.5 million dollars across 4 venues: Bassendean, Burswood, Joondalup and Murdoch.

To this day, Ken continues his duties with the same level of ambition that he had 25 years ago. He is in charge of an endless list of different tasks, encompassing programming, marketing, financials, strategic planning, team management and day-to-day operations. 

It is perhaps his personal background that motivated him to be such a charitable figure; his personal lived experiences have made him sensitive to the vulnerabilities of those around him and enabled him to transform Telethon Community Cinemas into the notable organisation that it is today.