Overview

It’s not easy to break into the entertainment world, but the Moving Picture Institute’s Hollywood Career Launch Program helps talented young filmmakers get a foot in the door. We place interns with partner production companies and provide living stipends for the duration of their internship.

Since 2006, we have awarded over 265 paid internships. A majority of MPI interns go on to full-time industry positions, and after sixteen years of building MPI’s filmmaker network, it now consists of established, on-mission industry professionals at high-profile entertainment companies like FOX, Disney, AMC, CAA, and NBC.

Past placements have included major studios, including Millennium Media (The Expendables), BRON Studios (Joker), and Skybound Entertainment (The Walking Dead).

In addition, thanks to MPI’s partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, participants in our summer internship class are eligible for selection to attend Academy Gold, the Academy’s seven-week internship enhancement and mentorship program that gives participants access to special panels with Academy members, screenings, and countless career advancement opportunities.

Many of our Hollywood Career Launch Program interns are students or recent graduates, but in some cases we extend advanced internships to intermediate-level filmmakers. Internships typically last for 12 weeks. Most placements are in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC. Though we consider applications on a rolling basis, it is best to apply for summer internship positions as early as possible, usually in February.

MPI’s partnership with the Academy Gold Rising program placed me in the very center of the film industry–from panels of filmmakers and tours of studios to one-on-one mentorship with an industry veteran and Academy member. The Gold program gave me an inside look at the moving pieces that come together to make the movies and TV we love.

Carly Hicks, MPI Intern
HOW TO APPLY

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and may be submitted at any time. With a less than one percent acceptance rate, our program is extremely competitive. Due to the high volume of applications for limited spaces, we are unable to contact everyone who has applied. We will reach out to you if you’ve advanced beyond the initial stage. No calls please. We do not accept applications by mail.

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