Academy Originals Profiles The MPTF’s Channel 22

For artists working in the film industry, what they contribute to motion pictures is not just a job – it’s a way of life.

Beginning more than 90 years ago as the Motion Picture Relief Fund has, today, flourished into MPTF, the Motion Picture & Television Fund, a comprehensive service organization that remains at the core of the entertainment industry.

The MPTF was created in 1921 by Hollywood’s earliest entertainment luminaries such as Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith, who realized the need for reaching out to those in the entertainment industry who fell upon hard times. It began with a simple coin box in Hollywood where entertainment industry workers would deposit spare change for fellow colleagues.

The Academy has released a new “Academy Originals” featuring Channel 22, MPTF’s Wasserman Campus-based television station – a hallmark of creative expression. Founded with the support and vision of Mel Shavelson, and support from NBCUniversal, industry retirees come together with current industry talent to create original programming for residents of the retirement community at MPTF to enjoy.

Having visited the MPTF’s beautiful campus, I discovered the lovely Roddy McDowall Rose Garden as well as a plaza dedicated to costume designer Edith Head.

What impressed me most during my visit was the program whereby artisans share their vast knowledge with high school students eager to become filmmakers.

Channel 22 is comprised of staff, campus residents, and volunteers of all ages who create programming of all types: celebrations of the Hollywood legacy, documentaries, original musicals and comedies, content showcasing MPTF services, events, and people, and more.

Channel 22 provides unique opportunities for retirees who have devoted their careers to the entertainment industry.