Moving Picture Institute

05/31/2026

05/29/2026

🎬 MPI has kicked off its annual Producer’s Playbook seminar in Los Angeles, bringing together 16 rising producers from across the country for two days of producing sessions, networking, and collaboration.

Participants will also attend the PGA Produced By Conference at Universal Studios, connecting directly with industry professionals and conversations shaping the future of film and television.

🎥 Join our filmmaker network to learn about future opportunities: https://na2.hubs.ly/H05KZJt0

05/27/2026

🎬 The MPI Original short film THE ART OF INFLATION has joined the official lineup of the Dances With Films Festival in Los Angeles.

The film will screen on Monday, June 22, at 6:15 p.m. at the iconic Chinese Theatres in the heart of Hollywood.

Written and directed by MPI filmmakers Brett Wietecha and Tim Hedberg, THE ART OF INFLATION follows two brothers fighting for survival during Venezuela’s economic collapse as they risk everything for freedom and escape.

🎟️ Get your tickets here: https://na2.hubs.ly/H05KXtR0

05/26/2026

🎬 Tonight at 6 p.m., the MPI Original short film GRIND screens at an event hosted by ActLocal, Opalus, and the United Nations Association of Pasadena at LOOK Cinemas in Glendale, California.

The evening will spotlight films centered on entrepreneurship, community impact, and social good, alongside women-owned business vendors and a filmmaker Q&A.

Following the screening, writer, director, and producer Mark Apicella and actress Alma Martinez will join a discussion panel to reflect on the film’s themes and answer audience questions.

GRIND follows John, an aspiring sneaker designer in East Los Angeles, whose chance to showcase his work at his idol’s pop-up shop is threatened when his best friend and business partner promises the design to a gang with plans of their own.

🎟️ Get your tickets here: https://na2.hubs.ly/H05KWkv0

05/22/2026

The MPI Original documentary short REMNANTS is heading to the Fort Myers Film Festival!

📍 Where: Fort Myers, Florida
🗓️ When: Sunday, May 24
⏰ Time: 10:00 a.m.
🎞️ Screening: “Stories of Loss and Renewal” Shorts Block

REMNANTS follows the Bowens, a sixth-generation Central Valley ranching family confronting questions of legacy, survival, and identity as environmental and economic pressures threaten their way of life.

🎟️ Get your tickets here: https://na2.hubs.ly/H05HVs90

05/20/2026

🎬 The MPI Original short THE ART OF INFLATION will be featured at an upcoming event in Madrid on June 11, hosted by the Instituto Juan de Mariana in collaboration with MPI and CEU CEFAS, a local think tank.

The event will explore inflation not only as an economic phenomenon but as a force that shapes political power, institutions, and individual freedom. The evening will include a keynote lecture, a screening of the film, a conversation with the filmmakers, and a panel discussion with experts on Venezuela examining the broader consequences of chronic inflation.

Written and directed by MPI filmmakers Brett Wietecha and Tim Hedberg, the film is set during Venezuela’s economic collapse and follows two brothers forced to work on a militia-run coca farm as they plan their escape. When the younger brother risks everything for freedom—and for the girl he loves—their bond is tested in a fight for survival.

🎟️ Get your tickets here: https://juandemariana.org/eventos/inflacion-poder-y-libertad-de-la-teoria-economica-al-caso-venezolano/

05/18/2026

🎬 MPI kicked off day one of its in-person Intern Summit in Los Angeles, bringing together participants from the spring and summer Hollywood Career Launch Program (HCLP) for three days of workshops, networking, and career development.

Throughout the summit, interns will take part in hands-on sessions focused on professionalism, creative growth, and building a career in the entertainment industry, alongside panels featuring MPI alumni and industry professionals. They’ll also connect through networking events and a behind-the-scenes tour of Universal Studios 🎥

Former HCLP intern Grace Brady shared:

“MPI’s programs have been instrumental in my growth as a filmmaker. Support like this is rare in the industry—people who not only invest in you as an artist, but genuinely care about you as a person. There is a real desire to see you succeed and to actively support that journey. I’ve been especially moved by the belief that the mentors I’ve connected with through MPI have shown in me, and I think that has been the greatest gift.”

Applications for HCLP are accepted on a rolling basis. Interested in growing your skills and expanding your network? Apply here: https://na2.hubs.ly/H05z-9_0

05/15/2026

The MPI Original short film SHOOT, SHOVEL, AND SHUT UP, written and directed by MPI filmmaker Trần Hoàng Calvin, is headed to the Cinetopia Film Festival! 🎥

The short will screen on Sunday, May 17, at 2:30 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as part of the Michigan-Made Shorts section, a showcase celebrating emerging and established filmmakers from across the state.

Trần will be attending the screening and looks forward to answering audience questions after the film.

If you’re in the area, come watch with us!

🎟️ Get your tickets here: https://na2.hubs.ly/H05xcpB0

05/13/2026

MPI Original documentary short THE DYING BUSINESS a quirky Italian American family in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, as they work to keep their third-generation funeral home alive in a changing town 🎬

See the film on the big screen at the Solange Film Festival in Pittsburgh on Saturday, May 16, at 12:00 p.m.

Get tickets here: https://na2.hubs.ly/H05tFbc0

05/11/2026

NATIONAL REVIEW recently featured the MPI Original documentary short REMNANTS on its RADIO FREE CALIFORNIA podcast 🎙️

The episode includes an interview with Sheila Bowen, whose Central Valley family is at the center of the film, discussing the challenges ranching families face in the aftermath of devastating wildfires.

Listen to the episode --> https://na2.hubs.ly/H05qn6K0