MPTF (Motion Picture & Television Fund) last week hosted a very special virtual press conference to kick off their 100th Anniversary Campaign, revealing how MPTF plans to build its foundation for the next 100 years to support working and retired industry members.
Just days after being honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars, MPTF President and CEO Bob Beitcher was joined by Yvette Nicole Brown (MPTF NextGen Board of Directors), George Clooney (MPTF Board of Directors), Jodie Foster (Supporter of MPTF), Jim Gianopulos (Chairman – MPTF Board of Directors), Tony Goldwyn (MPTF Board of Governors), and Jeffrey Katzenberg (Chairman – MPTF Board of Governors, MPTF Board of Directors) to highlight the importance of the organization and the ways in which this ambitious fundraising campaign will help to build a future for those in the industry for the next 100 years.
Beitcher began by welcoming viewers and recounting the tremendous efforts of the entire MPTF team over the past year. Since the pandemic began, MPTF has tripled the number of community members it serves, assisting with financial relief, help with managing basic living expenses and health insurance, and issues around social isolation and loneliness, stress, and anxiety, and has made over 20,000 social work and care calls. Earlier this month, despite the complexities of providing care during the pandemic, MPTF’s “nursing home” – encompassing Mary Pickford House, Harry’s Haven, and Hersholt Place – was once again given a 5-star rating by Medicare.
Katzenberg introduced the 100th Anniversary Campaign, and MPTF’s goal of raising $300 million to sustain reserves and build endowment ($200 million), and to rebuild key portions of the campus into “Campus 2.0” ($100 million). He stressed that raising this money is “essential in order to ensure there is another 100 years,” and encouraged industry supporters to give what they can, whether that is “100 pennies…or $100 million dollars!”
Gianopulos shared plans for a very special 100th Anniversary Gala, set to take place later this year – a two-night event highlighting the best of MPTF’s past, as well as a vision for the future. MPTF will also launch an “Auction for the Century” including rare, iconic items from Hollywood past and present, like original MPTF payroll pledge cards from Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.
Longtime supporter Jodie Foster joined the conversation to talk about her connection to MPTF and share her ongoing participation in resident engagement through Creative Chaos. To her, “100 years old is the new Sweet 16” and encouraged everyone to celebrate MPTF accordingly.
Representing the NextGen Board, the future of MPTF, actor Yvette Nicole Brown spoke about her deep connection to the organization and her family role as a caretaker. After just one visit to the iconic Motion Picture Home, she said, she “fell in love” with the campus and the organization. She stressed the importance of industry members looking out for one another as they have all seen the ups and downs of this profession.
George Clooney joined the conference from London, and urged everyone to pay it forward, become an advocate, and donate so MPTF can help as many people as possible. He even came up with some creative ideas of his own – a “Sexiest Man Alive” fundraising competition to encourage those who have received the prestigious honor to donate. He also suggested having his Batman suit donated for the auction, joking about what an important cinematic moment that was. He talked about the idea of standing on the shoulders of those who came before him, and those who are putting in the work now, like everyone at MPTF!
Tony Goldwyn, a third-generation member of a family with a long history of supporting MPTF, closed out the conference. He spoke of the importance of The Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. Center for Behavioral Health, a gift from his father, which has been designed aesthetically and functionally to meet the unique mental healthcare needs of older adults, and is available to the community at large, as well as for the entertainment community. He also addressed the Children’s Center, another Goldwyn family legacy, which continues to play an integral role for those families in the industry who need it most.
Additional information about the 100th Anniversary Campaign can be found here.
