MAJOR CORPORATE, FOUNDATION, AND INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS JOIN IN SUPPORT OF CAREGIVING, THE PBS DOCUMENTARY AND ENGAGEMENT PROJECT FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER BRADLEY COOPER

Project Partners on National Engagement Initiative Include  Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, Grantmakers In Aging, Global Coalition on Aging, and National Alliance for Caregiving 

Washington, D.C. —May 8, 2024 —WETA President and Chief Executive Officer Sharon Percy Rockefeller today announced the shared commitment from a slate of major funders and partners to support the documentary and engagement campaign for the new project Caregiving, currently in production. Bradley Cooper is an executive producer of the two-hour documentary slated to premiere on PBS in Spring 2025. Funders for this ambitious project include Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc.; Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation; Ralph C. Wilson; Jr. Foundation, Care.com; and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Support for the engagement and outreach for Caregiving is made possible by The John A. Hartford Foundation. Engagement initiatives supporting the documentary will be done in partnerships with PBS stations nationwide and leading caregiving organizations and advocates, including the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, Grantmakers In Aging, and National Alliance for Caregiving. 

Rockefeller noted, “Through the support and collaboration of our dedicated underwriters and engagement partners, we will bring this impactful film to viewers across the country while further engaging and activating the broader community to join forces to increase resources for caregivers, educate supporters about caregiving needs, and work towards systemic solutions to aid and protect caregivers within our society.” 

The film will examine caregiving from multiple perspectives: the creation and evolution of the care system; the social dynamics that shape our approach to caregiving today and the future possibilities; the lives of caregivers and their relationships with those in their care; and the interpersonal and economic pressures faced by caregivers. Caregiving is a production of Lea Pictures and WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Ark media. 

The Caregiving sizzle reel is available HERE. A full release about the project is HERE.

The launch of Caregiving will include a national and local audience engagement campaign to reinforce the Well Beings campaign’s engagement efforts and expand its impact. An extensive network of committed partners and local PBS member stations will produce in-person and virtual engagement events and provide resource guides, among other content, tailored to the specific needs of their unique communities.

Visionary Funders Support Impactful Caregiving Project

Rockefeller recognized the leading sponsors of the project, each of which is committed to increasing awareness of the challenges of caregiving for individuals and for our society.

"At some point, most people will become a caregiver to a loved one in need. Along the journey, they will likely endure countless challenges, self-sacrifice, and moments of doubt. It is critical that caregivers receive the acknowledgment and resources necessary to thrive in their lives. At Otsuka, we’re committed to leading an industry-wide shift in the ways caregivers are valued and supported in their service to others. This is why I am thrilled that Otsuka is also the lead, founding sponsor for WETA’s upcoming Caregiving project to help shine a bright light on this critically important—yet often overlooked, community within the healthcare industry." - Tarek Rabah, President and CEO, Otsuka North America Pharmaceutical Business

"The role of a caregiver should be valued, respected and revered in our culture," said Amber Slichta, Vice President of Programs & Learning at the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. "Our support for this documentary drives towards that aspiration and we are honored to be a part of creating opportunities for new audiences to understand the immense challenges and celebrate the joys of being a caregiver."

"At some point, every person will need or receive care, typically many times throughout their lives.  It is a universal issue and yet all too often, it is treated like a personal problem that families must solve and navigate alone. Documentaries like this shine a much-needed spotlight on the scope of America’s care crisis and we are honored to have played a role in bringing this series to life." - Bill Chase, Care.com’s General Manager, Consumer

"Caregivers are the unsung heroes in our communities, providing vital support to individuals facing a wide range of health challenges. Mental illness is a health condition that affects the whole family, and caregivers play a critical role in the journey of people with severe mental illness" said Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., CEO of NAlMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. "We must shed light on the role that caregivers play – and often the sacrifices they make – to work toward solutions that address caregiver needs in today’s society. NAMI applauds Well Beings for their commitment to spotlighting these essential conversations and recognizing the caregivers and loved ones who offer unwavering support when it matters most."

"Family caregiving is an intensely personal experience, and it is a societal issue that requires us to build services and supports for the millions of caregivers who provide daily assistance to older adults and people with disabilities," said Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, President of The John A. Hartford Foundation. "We are proud to support this film that will shine a light on how we can best support family caregivers, the backbone of care in this country."

Well Beings Caregiving Campaign Partners Connect with Communities Nationwide

Rockefeller also welcomed six organizational partners working with WETA and PBS stations nationwide to engage with stakeholders.

"With 53 million caregivers in America, providing care is a near-universal human experience, yet caregivers remain the invisible frontline of our healthcare system, and their physical, mental, and financial well-being is far too often ignored," said Dr. Jennifer Olsen, Chief Executive Officer of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. "We are honored to be lead partners on Caregiving, a film that will make the unseen seen by centering the stories of caregivers. The film shares a vision to transform the systems of care and support for a part of life – as Mrs. Carter famously recognized – we will all experience at some point." 

"Providing care for our loved ones, both young and old, is one of the great challenges of our time. All of us – daughters, sons, spouses, parents, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbors, and friends — have been or will be called on to deliver care out of love and commitment and often at enormous cost to personal health, wellbeing, and financial security. Change is needed and it is time for a wake-up call. The Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging is grateful for the leadership of Bradley Cooper, the Caregiving funders, Ark media, and WETA as they shine a light on the care crisis and advocate for cohesive solutions that expand care options and support caregivers in need across every American community." – Paul Irving, Senior Advisor and Founding Chairman, Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging

"Without good, reliable care, nothing else works, in our lives, our families, our communities, our jobs, or our economy. Grantmakers In Aging is proud to partner with PBS, WETA, and Lea Pictures in amplifying this much-needed conversation about the urgency of honoring and supporting all kinds of caregivers." - Lindsay A. Goldman, CEO, Grantmakers In Aging

"Caregiving is the hidden health, economic and social issue of this generation and for generations to come. As society ages, with a higher proportion older people than young, it’s not well known yet that everyone around the world will experience some form of caregiving. That is why the Global Coalition on Aging is proud to partner with PBS, WETA, Lea Pictures and Bradley Cooper to help showcase the value of caregivers across society and the need for innovative policies and partnerships that bolster the care economy. This documentary will be a powerful tool for awareness and advocacy and an impetus for change." - Melissa Mitchell, Executive Director, Global Coalition on Aging

"For far too long, America’s 53 million family caregivers have quietly shouldered care for our families and communities, often without adequate support. This documentary promises to be a powerful and eye-opening look into their daily lives. We're incredibly grateful to Bradley Cooper and the Caregiving team for bringing these stories to light. Their work serves as a crucial reminder: bold investments in care infrastructure are urgently needed to create a more sustainable, equitable, and dignified caregiving system." - Jason Resendez, CEO and President at The National Alliance for Caregiving

ABOUT WELL BEINGS

Since the launch of Well Beings in May 2020, the campaign has featured impactful local and national conversations through engagement events; produced original digital-first content ranging from feature-length and short-form documentaries to animated explainer shorts; and signature broadcast content, including Ken Burns Presents Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness A film by Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers. Components of the Well Beings campaign have reached millions of Americans through over 1.9 billion media impressions from major media outlets, 125 million impressions using #WellBeings, and the Well Beings Tour of virtual events produced in 30 public media markets, generating an audience of more than 2 million virtual viewers. 

Well Beings is a multiplatform, multi-year campaign from public media to address the critical health needs in America through original broadcast and digital content, engagement campaigns, and impactful local events. Well Beings was created by WETA Washington, D.C., the flagship public media station in the nation’s capital, and brings together partners from across the country, including youth with lived experience of mental health challenges, families, caregivers, educators, medical and mental health professionals, social service agencies, private foundations, filmmakers, corporations and media sponsors, to create awareness and resources for better health and well-being. The public can join the conversation by using #WellBeings, visiting WellBeings.org, or following @WellBeingsOrg on Instagram, Facebook, or X.

About the Project Underwriters

ABOUT OTSUKA AMERICA PHARMCEUTICAL INC.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., is a global healthcare company with the corporate philosophy: Otsuka–people creating new products for better health worldwide.

Otsuka is a leader in the challenging areas of mental, renal, and cardiovascular health and has additional research programs in oncology and on several under-addressed diseases including tuberculosis. These commitments illustrate how Otsuka is a “big venture” company at heart, applying a youthful spirit of creativity in everything it does.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., are indirect subsidiaries of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The Otsuka group of companies employed 34,400 people worldwide and had consolidated sales of approximately USD 14.2 billion in 2023. Learn more about Otsuka in the U.S. at www.otsuka-us.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter at @OtsukaUS. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.’s global website is accessible at https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/.

ABOUT RALPH C. WILSON, JR. FOUNDATION

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect the devotion of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his beloved Buffalo Bills NFL team. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson provided that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the Foundation that bears his name. Based in Detroit, the Foundation began with a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson’s desire for the Foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable, and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information visit rcwjrf.org.

ABOUT CARE.COM

Available in 21 countries, Care.com is the largest online platform for finding and managing family care, spanning in-home and in-center care solutions. Since 2007, families have relied on Care.com for an array of care for children, seniors, pets, and the home. Designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s families and caregivers, the Company also offers customized corporate benefits packages to support working families at more than 700 global clients, household tax and payroll services, and innovations for caregivers to find and book jobs. Care.com is an IAC company (NASDAQ: IAC).

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation’s leading voice on mental health. Today, we are an alliance of more than 650 local Affiliates and 49 State Organizations who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need.

NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.

ABOUT THE JOHN A. HARTFORD FOUNDATION

The John A. Hartford Foundation, based in New York City, is a private, nonpartisan, national philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults. The leader in the field of aging and health, the Foundation has three areas of emphasis: creating age-friendly health systems, supporting family caregivers, and improving serious illness and end-of-life care. For more information, visit johnahartford.org.

About the Project Engagement Partners

ABOUT THE ROSALYNN CARTER INSTITUTE FOR CAREGIVERS 

The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers was established in 1987 by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter to promote the health, strength, and resilience of caregivers throughout the United States. RCI fulfills its promise to champion the family caregiver by building cross-sector partnerships, developing and providing evidence-based programs, and advocating for public policy.

ABOUT MILKEN INSTITUTE CENTER FOR THE FUTURE OF AGING

The Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging advances healthy longevity and financial security for all through research, convenings, multisector partnerships, and the elevation of high-impact policies and practices.

ABOUT GRANTMAKERS IN AGING 

GIA is a community of funders mobilizing money and ideas to strengthen policies, programs, and resources for all of us as we age, and the only global membership organization focused on aging and philanthropy. GIA creates opportunities for funders to connect, collaborate, co-fund, and learn from one another. We help funders who are already investing in aging to fund more strategically, and we help funders who are not funding in aging to identify the intersections of aging and every other funding priority. Our vision is a just and inclusive world where all people are fully valued, recognized, and engaged at all ages. To learn more, please visit www.GIAging.org.

ABOUT GLOBAL COALITION ON AGING 

The Global Coalition on Aging uniquely brings together global corporations across industry sectors and engages with global institutions, policymakers, and the public to reshape how global leaders approach and prepare for the 21st century’s profound shift in population aging. Through research, public policy analysis, advocacy, and strategic communications, GCOA is advancing innovative policies and actions to transform challenges associated with the aging of the global population into opportunities for social engagement, productivity and fiscal sustainability. For more information, visit www.globalcoalitiononaging.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR CAREGIVING

Established in 1996, the National Alliance for Caregiving is a national membership coalition that brings together more than 50 national healthcare companies and nonprofits, care innovators, caregiving advocacy organizations, and financial services leaders to advance a common agenda of building health, wealth, and equity for America’s 53 million family caregivers. From championing our nation’s first-ever national caregiving strategy to releasing new insights on the realities of caregiving, NAC works tirelessly to make caregiving more sustainable and equitable through agenda-setting research, programming, and policy change.

About the Project Producers

The documentary will premiere on PBS stations nationwide in Spring 2025 and brings together the talents of Lea Pictures, Cooper’s production company; WETA in Washington, D.C. a major producer of public media content; in association with Ark media, an award-winning film producer. 

Caregiving is directed by Chris Durrance for Ark media. Barak Goodman is Series Producer, Chris Durrance is Senior Producer and Ruth Fertig is Producer for Ark media. Executive Producers for Lea Pictures are Bradley Cooper and Weston Middleton. Executive Producers for WETA are John F. Wilson and Tom Chiodo. Producer for WETA is Kate Kelly. Production is managed for WETA by Jim Corbley.

ABOUT LEA PICTURES 

Bradley Cooper created Lea Pictures in 2020 to create stories that inspire, motivate, and resonate as a producer, writer, acto and director. Building off the critical and financial success of his producorial work on the Oscar-nominated films Nightmare Alley, A Star is Born, American Sniper and Joker, Lea Pictures was formed to develop and produce commercially entertaining and transformational feature films, television, documentary films and digital content. Cooper's first film under Lea Pictures was Maestro, which he co-wrote, produced, directed, and starred in. Maestro was nominated for seven Oscars and the film was released by Netflix in December 2023. Cooper is currently co-writing, producing and will direct Is This Thing On? for Searchlight Pictures. The film will star Will Arnett and will go into production this fall. Cooper is a 12-time Oscar nominee whose passion for unique and personal storytelling has made him one of the most influential producers at this time. Additional projects under the Lea Pictures banner include Warner Bros' Bullitt with Steven Spielberg, Hyperion, also with Warner Bros' and Graham King, the History Channel's miniseries FDR, and the podcasts The Good Stuff and Finally! A Show currently on iHeartMedia. Lea Pictures executives include Weston Middleton, who heads up the film division, Kristen Barnett in television and Anneliese Barron in social impact. 

ABOUT ARK MEDIA 

Ark media is one of the most prolific and honored non-fiction production companies in America, with over 25 years of experience producing premium documentary series that speak to a wide array of social, historical and political themes. Founded in 1996 by filmmakers Barak Goodman and Rachel Dretzin and joined by fellow partner and filmmaker John Maggio in 2003, Ark produces both feature documentaries, and over 30 hours of television/streaming content a year for such outlets as PBS, Participant, HBO, Netflix, MSNBC, and more. Ark’s films have premiered at Sundance, Tribeca, DocNYC, and other major film festivals, the company’s productions have been honored with five Emmy Awards, an Academy Award nomination, three DuPont Columbia batons, three George H. Foster Peabody Awards, among many other awards and accolades.

ABOUT WETA

WETA is the leading public broadcaster in the nation’s capital, serving Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia with educational initiatives and with high-quality programming on television, radio, and digital. WETA Washington, D.C., is the second-largest producing station for public television, with news and public affairs programs including PBS NewsHour, PBS News Weekend, and Washington Week with The Atlantic; films by Ken Burns and Florentine Films, such as The American Buffalo andthe forthcoming Leonardo da Vinci; series and documentaries by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., including Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and GOSPEL; performance specials including National Memorial Day Concert and A Capitol Fourth; and health content from Well Beings, a multiplatform campaign. More information on WETA and its programs and services are available at weta.org. Visit facebook.com/wetatvfm on Facebook

Contacts: 

Lameka Lucas, WETA / llucas@weta.org