For Immediate Release                                    

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Steve Honig                                                                                            
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THE MOTION PICTURE & TELEVISION FUND TO PRESENT
SILVER MEDALLION AWARD TO I.A.T.S.E. INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
THOMAS C. SHORT

Prestigious award to be presented at star-studded
“A Fine Romance” benefit on October 20

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Oct. 15, 2007 – The Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF), today announced it will be presenting its Silver Medallion Award to Thomas C. Short, International President of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (I.A.T.S.E.).  Short is also on the Corporate Board of Directors of the Motion Picture & Television Fund and is being honored for his efforts on behalf of MPTF and service to the organization.  The award will be presented on October 20 at MPTF’s annual “A Fine Romance” fundraiser being hosted by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Hugh Jackman.  

The Silver Medallion Award was established in 1942 to recognize outstanding humanitarian achievement for the Motion Picture & Television Fund and the entertainment industry at-large.  Past recipients include Lew Wasserman, Jean Hersholt, Gregory Peck, Jules Stein, Mary Pickford and Kirk and Anne Douglas.

“President Short’s vision has enabled MPTF to bring our concept of taking care of our own into contemporary times where healthcare, prevention and wellness are critical components to the quality of life of people in the entertainment industry,” said David Tillman, M.D., president and CEO of the Motion Picture & Television Fund.  “In his combined role as International President of I.A.T.S.E. and MPTF board member, he has strengthened MPTF and enabled us to expand our mission beyond the walls of our campus to serve not only members of the I.A.T.S.E. but also everyone in the industry.  Under President Short’s guidance, activity at our health centers has doubled and we have developed and deployed a disease management program.  His contributions to MPTF are immeasurable and we cannot think of a more worthy recipient for the Silver Medallion Award.”

Short has been a member of the I.A.T.S.E. since 1968 when he was initiated into Stagehands Local No. 27, Cleveland, Ohio.  During the following 25 years, he served in various capacities within the organization and in 1994 was elected to the position of International President when the late President Alfred W. Di Tolla resigned.  Short was reelected to his first, full three-year term as International President at the 62nd Convention of the International Alliance held in Miami Beach, Florida in 1995.  Short continues to serve as International President, having been re-elected, unopposed, to his fourth term by the delegates to the International's 65th Quadrennial Convention held in Honolulu in 2005.

The I.A.T.S.E. is an International Union that represents members employed in stagecraft, motion picture and television production, and trade shows industries throughout the United States, Its Territories and Canada.  With a membership of more than 109,000, the I.A.T.S.E. is the largest labor union in the entertainment and related industries and was formed more than a century ago.  Under Short’s leadership, the I.A.T.S.E. has been restructured to include five divisions: Stage Craft, Motion Picture and Television Production, Organizing, Trade Show & Display Work and Canadian Affairs.  During his aggressive approach to organizing the I.A.T.S.E., he has realized tremendous growth in membership with an increase from 65,000 to nearly 110,000, and the successful negotiations of more than 1,500 national term agreements with industry employers. 

For more than 85 years, the Motion Picture & Television Fund has served California’s entertainment community.  It provides healthcare, retirement care, childcare and charitable social services with compassion and respect for the dignity of the whole person.  MPTF is a leader in the development and implementation of services and programs for senior citizens.  Charity has always remained at the heart of the Motion Picture & Television Fund.  For more information about MPTF visit www.mptvfund.org.

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