Grant Making that Gets Things Done

the Moving Picture Institute

The Coronavirus pandemic has forced many of us to find a comfy corner of the couch and binge on new (and some vintage!) shows and movies we haven’t watched or seen in a long time.  Read on if you’re a freedom-loving patriot who wants to spend time digesting entertaining content that matches your worldview.

There’s one excellent organization producing featuring length films, short documentaries, and even cartoons for kids.  The quality of the films is award-winning, and the content is important and inspiring, especially considering today’s frenzy around the growth of government and regulation.

From Fish Economics to Miss Virginia, the Moving Picture Institute, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is producing excellent must-see content.  If you believe culture needs reform, consider support for MPI.  The Institute produces high-impact film and video content designed to “entertain, inspire, and educate audiences with captivating stories about human freedom.” 

One of their most recent shorts, A Piece of Cake, for example, was chosen by two Oscar-qualifying film festivals—the Cleveland International Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival—where it was nominated for Best Narrative Short.  The film stars Rich Sommer (GLOW, Mad Men) and is “a funny, smart take on overregulation and the drug war.” 

More than 15 of their films are available on your favorite platforms from Netflix to Apple TV to Amazon Prime and Google Play. 

To date, MPI has reached more than 500,000 young people through their films designed for classrooms. 

In addition to their original content, MPI offers seminars and masterclasses for screenwriters and filmmakers and, importantly, subsequent internships ensure that quality talent is incubated for positions in Hollywood.  The highly selective Holly Career Launch Program (24 chosen out of a pool of 2,600 applications: .9% acceptance rate), for example, ensures that only the best, most talented, most committed filmmakers receive this special training.  Since Hollywood traditionally determines so much of our culture, it’s uplifting to see a dose of liberty infused into the moving picture industry. 

They have big growth plans for the future, too, working to “mainstream” their ideas by focusing on youth, teachers, and other constituencies. To read more about their upcoming movies and shorts, visit https://www.thempi.org/mission.