Supporting Creators From Script to Screen

We are the leading advocate of the film, television, and streaming industry around the world.

In the United States and around the globe, the film, television, and streaming industry drives the creative economy. Our members are:

Our
People

Charles H. Rivkin, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Charles H. Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), the leading advocate of the global film, television, and streaming industry. The MPA’s members currently include Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Drawing on 30 years of experience as a media executive and

Meet Our People
Chairman & CEO Charles H. Rivkin

History

In 1922, motion picture studios formed the organization now known as the Motion Picture Association to protect and support the nascent film industry. Since that time, the MPA has served as the leading advocate of the film, television, and streaming industry around the world, advancing the business and art of storytelling, protecting the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and bringing entertainment and inspiration to audiences worldwide.

Photo of the first meeting of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) in 1922

Photo of the first meeting of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), March 10, 1922. Pictured left to right, top row: Myron Selznick (Selznick Pictures), Winfield Sheehan (Fox Film), Courtland Smith (MPPDA), William Fox (Fox Film), Samuel Goldwyn (Goldwyn Pictures), J.J. Atkinson, Robert Cochrane (Universal Pictures). Bottom row: Lewis J. Selznick (Selznick Pictures), Earle W. Hammons (Educational Films), J.D. Williams (First National), William Hays (MPPDA), Adolph Zukor (Famous Players), Marcus Loew (Metro Pictures), Carl Laemmle (Universal Pictures). Photo courtesy of the Indiana State Library.

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1922

The Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) is founded and led by William Hays. A regulatory system, known as the Hays Code, is developed to ensure the absence of “offensive material” and prevent government interference in filmmaking.

1945

The organization changes its name to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

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1945

The MPAA creates the Motion Picture Export Association to promote American films abroad.

1953

The MPAA supports Superior Films in the landmark Supreme Court case Superior Films, Inc. v. Department of Education of the State of Ohio, fighting against censorship and supporting the right of creators to free speech.

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1968

Alongside the progress of the civil rights, women’s rights, and labor movements, the film industry sought artistic freedoms and the removal of the Hays Code’s strict limits on certain content. In response, then-MPAA president Jack Valenti creates the film rating system we use today.

1975

The MPAA establishes the Film Security Office to work closely with law enforcement officials and stem the growing threat of film piracy, which was estimated to cost the industry more than $100 million a year at the time.

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1976

The MPAA supports the passage of the revised Copyright Act in Congress, bringing stronger protections for creators.

2008

Facing increasing challenges from online content theft, the MPAA, under Chairman and CEO Dan Glickman, bolsters its global content protection team and successfully advocates for the Pro-IP Act, the first U.S. anti-piracy law enacted in the 21st century.

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2012

The MPAA, under Chairman and CEO Chris Dodd, works closely with the U.S. government to reach an agreement with China to settle a long-running WTO dispute, opening up China’s film marketplace and dramatically boosting revenue sharing, an action that helped fuel a major expansion in global box office revenue.

2017

The MPAA joins dozens of entertainment companies to launch the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global coalition dedicated to protecting the dynamic legal market and reducing online piracy.

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Netflix
2019

Under Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin, Netflix becomes the newest member of the MPAA, joining Disney, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Universal, and Warner Bros. The addition of Netflix reflected the association’s increased focus on streaming services as the industry adapted to the viewing practices of modern audiences.

2019

Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin unifies the global operations of the association under one brand: the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

MPA
2023

Under Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin, the MPA is championing the growing diversity of filmmakers, safeguarding intellectual property rights, advancing technological innovation, and supporting trade policies that can further expand the global film and TV marketplace. With the creation of the Streaming Innovation Alliance, the MPA joins together a coalition to tell streaming’s story and fight for smart policies.

2024

Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin brings on Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios as the MPA’s newest member.

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International
Reach

The MPA works globally to advance public policies that support creators, protect content, and foster a thriving creative economy. Our operations include:

Contact
Us

ADDRESS: 1600 I Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

MAIN: (202) 293-1966

FAX: (202) 785-3026

ADDRESS: 15301 Ventura Blvd., Building E
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

MAIN: (818) 995-6600

FAX: (818) 285-4403

ADDRESS: 5335 NW 87th Ave.
Suite C-323
Doral, FL 33178

MAIN: (305) 707-7833

ADDRESS: 12650 North Beach St. Suite 114 #6
Fort Worth, TX 76244

MAIN: (817) 205-6330

WEBSITE: www.mpa-canada.org

MAIN: (416) 961-1888

FAX: (416) 968-1016

WEBSITE: www.mpa-americalatina.org

EMAIL: contato@motionpictures.org

ADDRESS: Avenue des Arts 46 box 8
B-1000 Brussels, Belgium

MAIN: +32 2 778 27 11

FAX: +32 2 778 27 00 | +32 2 778 27 50

ADDRESS: B7-2, 9 Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100020 PRC

MPA HK: Units 3805-6, 38/F, 118 Connaught Road West
Hong Kong

ADDRESS: #220, 34, Sajik-ro 8-gil
Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea

ADDRESS: Nihon Seimei Ichibancho Bldg, 6F 23-3, Inchiben-Cho,
Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102-0082, Japan

WEBSITE: www.mpa-apac.org

ADDRESS: 101 Thomson Road
#30-05 United Square
Singapore 307591

MAIN: +65 6253 1033

FAX: +65 6255 1838

ADDRESS: FSA 74, 38 Driver Avenue,
Moore Park NSW 2021

Advocacy

Humans tell stories—it’s what we do.

Today, the stories that define our lives and shape our world are brought to life by the global creative community, including the creators and artists working in American film and television. The MPA fosters this economic and cultural enterprise by advocating for policies that recognize the power of our stories, reward creators, and allow us to produce, distribute, and protect the creative content audiences love.

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