The Motion Picture & Television Fund is a non-profit organization that supports working and retired members of the entertainment community with health, volunteer, and social services, including temporary financial assistance and residential living.
With relationships at the core of its mission, MPTF has created an intergenerational mentorship program, Passing The Torch, that addresses ageism and diversity. It is designed to build intergenerational relationships between entertainment industry retirees who have a lifetime of institutional knowledge and youth from underserved communities. Retirees remain purposeful and relevant, and students are better prepared and informed of industry career pathways. In addition, both generations gain a positive understanding of each other.
MPTF Studios, where creativity is ageless, provides two specific opportunities to collaborate and make a difference. The Annual Instant Film Festival brings multiple generations together in a unified goal to create short films during one day in under four hours. Creative Chaos is a live interactive web-based show for and by entertainment industry members that include residents from MPTF’s Wasserman Campus along with current industry professionals, retirees, volunteers, and students. With over 500 programs, over 1000 guests and many hours of content created, this program has made a huge impact during the pandemic.
Passing the Torch Program
This intergenerational mentorship program connects students exploring careers in Film and TV with retired and semi-retired industry members. Mentors enhance existing programs either in-person or virtually. Participation can include hands-on classroom activities and filming, panel discussions, and 1:1 mentorship. Retirees share their knowledge not typically found in academic settings, focusing on underserved communities.
In an industry where knowledge is often passed informally, Passing The Torch formalizes mentorship to ensure that students—many of whom may only be aware of high-visibility roles like actor or director—can discover the vast range of essential behind-the-scenes jobs that bring film and television projects to life. From camera operators and costumers to editors and production coordinators, these roles are often overlooked yet offer stable, union-backed careers that form the backbone of the entertainment industry.
The program launched with a pilot panel at SoLa Studios Film Production Program that trains and inspires the next generation of entertainment leaders from South Los Angeles, where industry veterans like retired first assistant director John Poer and production coordinator and IATSE Local 871 member Lois Walkershared candid insights with high school students. The experience earned positive responses from the students.
Since then, the program has expanded to include in-class mentors; 1:1 mentorship; script to screen and capstone project mentors; and mentor workshops with students from the Roybal Film & Television Magnet High School, Grant High School, Venice Arts, and more thanks to financial support from The Eisner Foundation and partnerships with EIF (The Entertainment Industry Foundation) and MENTOR California.
Learn more: Motion Picture Television Fund
