One of the first Russian film entrepreneurs. In October 1907, while still a law student at Moscow University, he was hired as a junior technician in the Moscow branch of the "Pathé Brothers" film company. A year later, he was already the head of the company's sales department, and three years later, he was the general representative of "Pathe" in Russia. Since 1912 - co-owner of the rental company "Ermoliev, Zarkhin and Segel" (in Rostov-on-Don). In 1915 he founded his own film studio "I. Ermoliev”, under the auspices of which more than 120 films were released. In 1918 he opened a branch of the film company in Yalta. Since 1920 - in exile. Settled in France, where he organized the company "Ermolieff-Cinéma". It translated Russian films for foreign distribution. In 1936, he was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor for services to the French film industry. A year later, he moved to the United States, where he produced films in Hollywood until the end of his life.