A star-studded host committee, Academy Awards nominees and presenters, along with some of the most powerful industry influencers came together on February 27th, 2016 for the 14th annual ‘Night Before’ party to benefit MPTF.
Funds raised during the now-legendary evening will be used to support MPTF in providing social services, financial assistance, a renowned retirement community and innovative programs for seniors and those who care for them. The organization, which is now celebrating its 95th Anniversary, impacts thousands of people each year who have committed their lives to a career in entertainment. The annual event raised $5.2 million, totaling just over $70 million in the event’s history.
The 2016 host committee included a lineup of the industry’s most elite talent, including Amy Adams & Darren Le Gallo, Ben Affleck, Tanya Haden Black & Jack Black, Cate Blanchett & Andrew Upton, Kate Capshaw & Steven Spielberg, Jessica Chastain, Amal & George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Tom Cruise, Luciana & Matt Damon, Viola Davis & Julius Tennon, Robin Dearden & Bryan Cranston, Jenna Dewan Tatum & Channing Tatum, Leonardo DiCaprio, Deborra-Lee Furness & Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael B. Jordan, Brie Larson, Julianne Moore & Bart Freundlich, Hannah & Eddie Redmayne, Sunrise & Mark Ruffalo, Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith, Octavia Spencer, Alicia Vikander, Pauletta & Denzel Washington, Rita Wilson & Tom Hanks, Kate Winslet, and Reese Witherspoon & Jim Toth.
Attending guests included Casey Affleck, Stephen Amell, Dave Annable, Will Arnett, Kevin Bacon, Antonio Banderas, Camilla Belle, Kate Bosworth, Zach Braff, Adrien Brody, Mariah Carey, Priyanka Chopra, Common, James Corden, Nina Dobrev, Jon Favreau, Peter Fonda, James Franco, Morgan Freeman, Donald Glover, Jeff Goldblum, Heather Graham, Melanie Griffith, Marcia Gay Harden, Cheryl Hines, Djimon Hounsou, Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Hutcherson, Famke Janssen, Nick Jonas, Jared Leto, Evangeline Lilly, Olivia Munn, Brittany Snow, David Spade, Patrick Stewart, Bellamy Young, and more.
This year’s generous presenting sponsors included Chrysler, Delta Air Lines, L’Oréal, MasterCard in support of Stand Up To Cancer, Target, and The Hollywood Reporter. For the first time, the event was held at Raleigh Studios, where Carmelized Productions by Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo provided specialty foods for the guests and Lavazza, as the official coffee of the ‘Night Before,’ provided its signature espresso.
“As MPTF celebrates its 95th Anniversary, the Night Before shines a very bright spotlight on the incredible generosity of our community,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation and Chairman of the MPTF Foundation. “We come together each year in the spirit of giving back to our own and are extremely grateful for the support Night Before receives to make these efforts possible.”
“95 years ago Hollywood created MPTF by having an event at The Beverly Hills Speedway that raised $10,000. The first financial assistance grants to an actor and his wife to pay their rent when he became too sick to work was made possible by that event. Tonight MPTF will raise over $5 million so we can help thousands of industry workers from all sides of the business thanks to our presenting sponsors and our donors. There are simply not enough words to express our deepest appreciation for everyone who has come together to make this possible and continuing the legacy of “caring for our own,” said Ken Scherer, CEO of the MPTF Foundation.
The ‘Night Before,’ held annually the night before the Academy Awards, was produced for the 14th consecutive year by Robyn Leuthe Norris, with Silver Birches creating the décor for the party. The event, now a much-anticipated awards season tradition, has become one of the most coveted invitations in town since its inception in 2003.
