Moving Picture Institute


The Moving Picture Institute is an American non-profit organization and film production company founded in 2005 by human rights advocate Thor Halvorssen. Its current president is Rob Pfaltzgraff.

Mission and purpose

The Moving Picture Institute is a modern-media production house and talent incubator that creates and supports film and video content designed to entertain, inspire, and educate audiences with stories about human freedom. Founded on the belief that stories can change the world, MPI's advances its mission in two ways: 1) By launching filmmakers’ careers through grants and classes; 2) By producing original content in-house.
MPI produces and collaborates on both fictional films and non-fictional, documentary-style films. MPI's films typically center on concepts such as human rights and individual freedoms, and governmental waste and corruption. As Halvorssen explains, "Put it this way: What Sideways did for Pinot noir, I want to do for freedom."

Opportunities for Filmmakers

The type of assistance that the Moving Picture Institute provides to other filmmakers varies based on the need of the filmmaker.

Rising Filmmakers Program

The Moving Picture Institute's Rising Filmmaker Program supports filmmakers who are committed to developing and producing marketable projects about human freedom. MPI has supported the careers of over 100 producers, directors, editors, and screenwriters. Participants work closely with mentors, take part in workshops and masterclasses, and have the opportunity to see their work produced by MPI.

Hollywood Career Launch Program

The Moving Picture Institute's Hollywood Career Launch Program places interns with partner production companies and provides living stipends for the duration of their internship. Since 2006, MPI have awarded over 160 paid internships.

Screenwriting Workshops

MPI's Screenwriting Workshops teaches both documentary and narrative filmmakers how to translate their ideas into compelling, marketable stories in a collaborative environment. Screenwriters attend regular virtual workshop sessions, with each session focusing on one of the participants' active projects. Workshop fellows also receive a small stipend.

Directing Workshop

The Moving Picture Institute's four-day directing workshop is designed for up-and-coming writer/directors, as well as filmmakers green-lit to direct MPI original projects, many of which originated and were developed in MPI screenwriting workshops. Receiving expert instruction from working directors, filmmakers learn vital tips for pre-production, production, and post. Participants rehearse scenes from their scripts, run mock casting sessions, and learn effective on-set strategies.

Cinematography Workshop

The Moving Picture Institute's five-day cinematography workshop, Moving Picturecraft, educates filmmakers about lighting, camera, and lens technologies. Led by cinematographer Benjamin Gaskell, MPI's cinematography fellows learn from American Society of Cinematographers members, while getting hands-on experience with industry-standard camera and lighting systems.

Editing Workshop

The Moving Picture Institute's four-day editing workshop, the Mindful Editor, features instruction from industry professionals and hands-on experience with advanced editing technology. Produced in partnership with Smock Media, this workshop teaches editing fellows how to use the editing process to make a film connect emotionally with viewers. The workshop also addresses ways to reduce burnout.

Business of Film Seminar

The Moving Picture Institute's Business of Film program kicks off with a three-day seminar in Los Angeles and carries on through several months of virtual meetings. The seminar schedule features expert advice from showrunners, producers, agents, development executives, film financiers, and more. Subsequent virtual meetings enable filmmakers from across the country to participate in sessions on topics such as entertainment law, pitching, getting representation, leveraging festivals, and more.

Comedy Writing Residency

The Moving Picture Institute's immersive four-day comedy writing residency features instruction from We the Internet TV’s head writer and executive producer Lou Perez and others. This workshop focuses on using satire to tackle different sides of controversial issues.

Masterclasses

The Moving Picture Institute masterclass program features industry professionals, such as television showrunners, Oscar and Emmy-nominated writers, post-production experts, directors, and more. These masterclasses primarily occur in Los Angeles and New York.

Major productions

MPI is involved in the production and promotion of the following narrative and documentary films:
TitleRelease DateNotes
The Perfect OneA Moving Picture Institute original film directed by Matthew Szewczyk. A young painter revives his family's failing business by taking an innovative risk.
A Piece of CakeA Moving Picture Institute original film directed by Meredith and Austin Bragg. A California father turns to illicit means to get dragées for his daughter's birthday cake after discovering that the bite-sized silver confections are banned in the state.
Miss VirginiaOctober 18, 2019A Moving Picture Institute original film directed by R.J. Daniel Hanna. When an inner-city school erupts in violence, a struggling single mother makes sacrifices to enroll her at-risk son in a safe school where he can learn. Soon her lonely fight for her child's future becomes a monumental battle to change the system itself. Inspired by a true story, Miss Virginia raises big questions about educational opportunity in America.
RegulationA Moving Picture Institute original film directed by Ryan Patch. In the near future, a young social worker named Mia travels through a small town community to administer behavior-modifying "patches" that guarantee happiness for the wearers. She must decide what to do when Kaleigh, a precocious 10-year-old girl, refuses to accept the patch, and takes Mia on a tour of the imagination that her unregulated feelings bring.
The ConquerorA Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Timothy Blackwood. Maintenance worker by day, pro-boxer by night, Jerome Conquest lives in the city of Rocky and comes from one of Philadelphia's most dangerous neighborhoods, Strawberry Mansion. When Conquest loses his best friend, Calvin, to street violence, he turns to boxing as a way to improve his life. Despite his struggles, Jerome doesn't see himself as a victim—he works hard, pursuing his dream of becoming a professional boxer and inspiring others with the belief that the same freedom resides in the hearts of all people.
GringaA Moving Picture Institute original film directed by Claudia Murray. Vanessa, a Cuban-American woman, has a foot in two worlds. When she rushes home to pack for a trip to Cuba, she doesn't expect what's waiting for her: a mission from her eccentric Abuelo. Based loosely on the filmmakers' real-life experiences, Gringa is a heartfelt take on family, culture, and identity as Vanessa reevaluates what really matters most to her.
Moving ViolationA Moving Picture Institute original film directed by Laura Waters Hinson. Moving Violation follows a young woman who is determined to “think positive” after a devastating breakup with her fiancé. But when the newly-installed speed camera on her street won't stop surveilling her, it becomes the unwitting lightning rod for Tara's pent-up wrath and positive thinking quickly turns to getting even.
Mama RwandaA Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Laura Waters Hinson. Mama Rwanda tells the story of two mothers using entrepreneurship to overcome extreme poverty. Drocella, a village wife, and Christine, a city widow, represent a new generation of women business-owners transforming post-genocide Rwanda into one of the ten fastest growing economies in the world.
CorrectionsA Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Nicholas Tucker. Corrections is a near-future science fiction film about crime and punishment. The setting is a next-generation prison where inmates are tested through simulations that evaluate their moral resolve in their most intimate moments. In this dystopian institution, prisoners aren’t rehabilitated; they're corrected.
Dreaming Against the WorldA Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Francisco Bello and Tim Sternberg. This haunting documentary short tells the story of Mu Xin, an artist who was imprisoned during China's bloody Cultural Revolution. While in captivity, Mu Xin risked his life to write and paint—work that in turn helped him survive.
How Jack Became Black2018-7A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Eli Steele. By the year 2050, at least 20% of all Americans will self-identify as two or more races. Will this change the future of race relations and identity politics? Filmmaker Eli Steele seeks to answer these questions in How Jack Became Black. This subject is personal for the filmmaker, who was born to a black father and Jewish mother. His children are even more racially diverse, but were denied admission by their local public school for failing to name a “primary race.”
What We Started2018-3-23A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Cyrus Saidi. What We Started delves into the highly popular world of electronic dance music, providing backdoor access to a widely misunderstood, self-driven, and well-insulated industry. Following the journeys of industry pioneers, like Carl Cox, and today's biggest superstar, Martin Garrix, this feature documentary explores freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the liberatory impact of electronic music around the world.
Incarcerating US2016-9-08A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Regan Hines. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Over 2 million Americans are currently in prison, many for nonviolent offenses. This staggering fact carries enormous human and economic costs, sparking debates among policy experts and ordinary citizens: When should the state have the authority to take away an individual's freedom? Incarcerating US presents a compelling argument that the criminal justice system needs urgent reform.
State of Control
2016-1-1		A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Christian Johnson and Darren Mann. State of Control follows two American filmmakers as they travel undercover, documenting Tibetan activists' human rights struggle against the Chinese government's police state. During a full-scale media shut down, a dangerous cat-and-mouse game quickly unfolds—secret police maintain 24-hour surveillance of the filmmakers, leading to hotel break-ins, theft, and cyber-hacking. Working with a team of cyber security experts, the filmmakers realize they are but one small piece of a global cyber crime wave that has impacted the likes of Google, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, a number of Fortune 100 companies, and even the White House.
The Immortalists2014-3-8A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Jason Sussberg and David Alvarado. This character-driven documentary follows three scientists who share one goal: to develop medical technologies that will vastly increase life expectancy. Bill Andrews, founder of a biotech company and a 60-year-old ultra-marathoner; Terry Grossman, a top anti-aging physician catering to patients who want to live forever; and Aubrey de Grey, a Cambridge-educated biogerontologist, have dedicated their lives to creating an infinite future for humanity. But is life extension even possible? And if it is, what are the political, ethical, and economic implications of it?
Dog Days2013-10-26A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Laura Waters Hinson. Dog Days is a captivating portrait of American entrepreneurship. When Coite Manuel, a first-time entrepreneur, enters the street food business, he enlists the help of two unlikely women: Deane, his harp-playing aunt, and Siyone, an East African hotdog vendor and single mother of four. Coite stakes his meager life savings on a vision to revive Washington, D.C.'s, dwindling street vending community. Along the way, he faces bewildering challenges, including hostile city regulations and an entrenched local monopoly. Even though success doesn't come easily, Coite and Siyone fight to maintain hope in the face of adversity. Dog Days explores themes of immigration, vocation, and the power of perseverance.
Honor Flight2012-8-11A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Dan Hayes. Honor Flight is a heartwarming documentary about four World War II veterans and a Midwest community coming together to give them the trip of a lifetime. Volunteers race against the clock to fly thousands of these heroes to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials constructed in their honor. The trips are called "Honor Flights" and for the veterans, who are in their late 80s, it's often the first time they've been thanked and the last trip of their lives.
L1ttl3 Br0th3r2012A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Cyrus Saidi and Gautam Pinto. A political thriller with a sci-fi twist, L1ttl3 Br0th3r follows a fictional Nobel laureate who risks everything to challenge the status quo. Exploring how technology has become a powerful tool for oppressors and freedom fighters alike, the film makes a timely contribution to current debates over state surveillance, technological activism, and government control.
Chosin2010-9-10A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Brian Iglesias. At the height of the Korean War, 15,000 U.S. troops were trapped and outnumbered 10-to-1. In a harrowing battle, these soldiers fought 78-miles to freedom and saved the lives of 98,000 refugees. After 60 years of silence, the survivors of the Chosin Reservoir Campaign take us on a heart-pounding journey through one of the most savage battles in American history.
Battle for Brooklyn2010-7-9Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Michael Galinsky, Suki Hawley, and David Beilinson. Battle for Brooklyn follows the activists who fought to save people's homes and property rights during the development of a professional basketball arena in Brooklyn. Widely known as the Atlantic Yards project, the undertaking was a major source of contention as local residents resisted a developer's attempt to use eminent domain to seize their homes and businesses.
Good Fortune2009-6Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Landon Van Soest. Through intimate portraits of three individuals living in the poorest areas of Kenya, Good Fortune explores how massive, international efforts to alleviate poverty in Africa may be undermining the very communities they aim to benefit.
The Cartel2009-5-30A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Bob Bowdon. The Cartel investigates problems of waste and graft within the American public school system. Focussing on New Jersey's schools, The Cartel makes a compelling case for how bad management and corruption are costing millions of children their chance for a bright future.
20812009-5-29A Moving Picture Institute original film directed by Chandler Tuttle. 2081 is a star-studded adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Harrison Bergeron." The film is set in a dystopian future where everyone is "equal every which way." In this stifling world, a Handicapper General goes to enormous lengths to punish individualism.
Freedom's Fury2006-8-25A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Colin Keith Gray and Megan Raney Aarons. Freedom's Fury centers on the 1956 Olympic semifinal water polo match between Hungary and Russia. This so-called "Blood in the Water Match" took place in Melbourne, Australia, weeks after Soviet forces brutally suppressed the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The film is narrated by Olympic gold medalist Mark Spitz.
The Singing Revolution2007-6-26A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by James Tusty and Maureen Tusty. Music was the weapon of choice for Estonians who sought to free themselves from decades of Soviet occupation. Between 1987 and 1991, hundreds of thousands gathered in fields to sing forbidden patriotic songs and rally for independence. The Singing Revolution documents how the Estonian people sang their way to freedom while helping topple an empire.
Hammer & Tickle2006-4-30A Moving Picture Institute-supported film directed by Ben Lewis. George Orwell observed that, under repressive political regimes, jokes are "tiny revolutions." Hammer & Tickle expands on that statement, showing how jokes enabled people in the Soviet Bloc to defy state authority. In 2006, Lewis's documentary won the Zurich Film Festival's award for "Best New Documentary Film." It has been broadcast by the BBC in Britain and by ARTE in France, and has inspired an accompanying book.