MPTF (Motion Picture & Television Fund) continued its yearlong centennial celebration with “100 Years of Hollywood: A Celebration of Service,” an unforgettable evening of musical performances, tributes, and inspirational storytelling at The Lot at Formosa in West Hollywood, CA.
During the show, Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg received the Silver Medallion Award while Adam Scott, Jodie Foster, Yvette Nicole Brown, Harry Northup, Casey Wasserman, Jim Gianopulos, and Peter Goldwyn took to the stage. The evening featured musical performances by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Ledisi, Tori Kelly, and Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies. Amanda Kloots, Cameron Monaghan, Carla Renata, Chuck Lorre, Heather Dowling, J. Lee, Kimberly Pierce, Mallory Weggemann, Natasha Bassett, Nicky Whelan, Omar Sharif Jr., Patrick Fabian, Pierson Fodé, Saxon Sharbino, and Tia Carrere also appeared at the benefit. The event was presented by City National Bank, Delta Air Lines, and UCLA Health, with support from Diamond sponsors Directors Guild of America, IATSE, PMC, Sherry Lansing Foundation, The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. Discovery, and the Wasserman Foundation.
The night commemorated the organization’s 100th year of helping working and retired members of the entertainment community by providing a safety net of health and social services. The event raised nearly $2 million to ensure MPTF’s services continue to adapt to the entertainment community’s needs. The event kicked off with a special pre-event reception for sponsors featuring Hollywood-themed dishes from chefs Vartan Abgaryan, Govind Armstrong, Ben Ford, and Mei Lin.
Rickey Minor and band opened the 100th anniversary show with a medley of popular theme songs including “Tale As Old As Time” from “Beauty and the Beast” and “I’ll Be There For You” from “Friends,” before Adam Scott welcomed guests.
Jodie Foster and Harry Northup, who worked together on “Silence of the Lambs” and “Taxi Driver,” reunited onstage to talk about what MPTF means to them. They reflected on their careers, reminiscing about working with Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Demme, and spoke about how they got involved with MPTF. Northup shared that he was blessed to become a resident at MPTF’s campus after going through a hard time and expressed how grateful he was for their support. Foster discussed her long history with MPTF, showing a picture of her old pledge card from years ago that was signed by her mom.
During the show, the musical guests each performed a favorite song from a classic film. Tori Kelly took to the stage for a moving rendition of Celine Dion’s hit “My Heart Will Go On,” Ledisi sang Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” and GRAMMY Award Winning duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear performed “Pure Imagination” from “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” Additionally, Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies performed a tap dance to Common and John Legend’s song “Glory” from the movie “Selma.”
Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg, longtime friends and supporters of MPTF, were honored with the Silver Medallion Award during the event. During Jeffrey’s acceptance speech, he paid tribute to his mentor and father, Walter Katzenberg, as well as David Geffen, Kirk Douglas, Edie and Lew Wasserman. The Katzenbergs have played a vital and irreplaceable role in helping the entertainment industry take care of its own for over 30 years. Previous Silver Medallion recipients have included Lew and Edie Wasserman, Mary Pickford, Gregory Peck, Jules Stein, Jack Warner, Samuel Goldwyn, Howard Koch, and Roddy McDowall. Additionally, a congratulatory video tribute was shown, featuring Hollywood’s best and brightest including Catherine Zeta-Jones, George Clooney, Hugh Jackman and Michael Douglas.
As a part of the show’s “I AM MPTF” segment, members of the MPTF community shared the various and impactful ways that the organization has supported them in times of need. President and CEO, Bob Beitcher, closed out the evening by congratulating Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg and wishing a special thanks to the nights’ performers, speakers, and sponsors.
The event was chaired by Sherry Lansing, Casey Wasserman and honorary chair, Walter Mirisch. Greg Berlanti & Robbie Rogers, Kate Capshaw & Steven Spielberg, Robert Chapek, Channing Dungey & Scott Power, Jamie Erlicht, Eric & Melina Esrailian, Jim & Ann Gianopulos, Megan Haller & Peter Rice, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall, George Lucas & Mellody Hobson, Katie McGrath & J.J. Abrams, Jay & Elaine Penske, Brian Robbins & Tracy James, Cheryl & Haim Saban, Laura & Jeff Shell, Lauren Shuler Donner, Zack Van Amburg, John & Marilyn Wells and David Zaslav served as the host committee. Juliane Hare and Charlie Haykel of Don Mischer Productions executively produced the show, with John Foy as the producer and Emmy Award-winner Rickey Minor as the musical director.
