The Motion Picture and Television Fund, long known for its donations and services to the entertainment industry, is the one to suffer this time. The 103-year-old fund, Joint Task Fund He will be honored with the Humanitarian Award at the International Guild of Location ManagersThis month’s LMGI Awards.
The LMGI Humanitarian Award recognizes MPTF’s commitment to its exceptional work at the forefront of providing a wide range of health and social services to the entertainment community, including health care, financial assistance, social service support, child care, and nursing homes, among many others. The group led by Bob Beitcher will receive the honor during a ceremony on August 24 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.
“The Motion Picture & Television Fund has been a lifeline for countless industry professionals, offering crucial support and care since 1921,” LMGI President John Rakich said in a statement. “We are proud to present them with the 2024 LMGI Humanitarian Award, celebrating their ongoing dedication to the health and well-being of our film and television communities.”
During the Covid pandemic and the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes that impacted the industry last year, MPTF was a guiding force that helped countless families navigate challenges and provided support, allowing them to continue their work. MPTF’s on-campus food drive a year ago served over 1,000 households. Since the strikes ended, continued job shortages have kept demand for MPTF’s services at a record high for everything from rent, mortgage, and car payments to stress-related issues and physical well-being.
“At MPTF, we take our mission to ‘take care of our own’ seriously when it comes to members of our entertainment community in need,” said Beitcher, the group’s president and CEO. “We must always be ready to be a safety net for hundreds, even thousands, of workers and their families when a crisis strikes – whether it’s an individual crisis like illness or financial hardship or an industry-wide crisis like job shortages, strikes and the pandemic. It’s an honor to be recognized for the work our compassionate team does every day.”