HFPA GIVES AWAY OVER $ 1.2 MILLION IN GRANTS
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, on the occasion of its annual Installation Luncheon, has presented over $ 1. 2 million in grants to 40 entertainment-related non profits and cultural institutions including LACMA, Sundance Institute, American Cinematheque, FilmAid International, The Film Foundation, UCLA, CalArts, Outfest, LA Conservancy and Film Independent.
Speaking at the opening of the ceremonies, HFPA president Dr. Aida O’Reilly said: “Thanks to the diligence of the members to produce a successful Golden Globes we are able to expand the philanthropy branch of the Association. Over the past 18 years, we can proudly say our organization has donated nearly 15 million dollars through our grants program.”
Dr. O’Reilly, installed in her second term as President, also announced the board and officers for the year 2012-2013: Jorge Camara will serve as Vice President, Serge Rakhlin as Executive Secretary and Ali Sar as Treasurer.
The new Board of Directors is comprised of chairman Ruben Nepales, and board members Helen Hoehne, Yukiko Nakajima, Yoram Kahana and Lorenzo Soria, with Dierk Sindermann serving as alternate.
Steven Spielberg, accepted, on behalf of The Film Foundation, a $250,000 grant to be applied to the restoration of Federico Fellini’s landmark 1954 film La Strada. “The HFPA’s generous support — $3.6 million over the past 16 years — has significantly impacted preservation by funding restoration of over 80 films by Hitchcock, Ford, Altman, Welles, Powell, Fritz Lang”, Spielberg said. “And that’s just to name a few.”
Golden Globe nominee Jennifer Lawrence, star of the hit franchise The Hunter Games and the upcoming Silver Linings Playbook, accepted a $ 50,000 grant on behalf of the Sundance Institute, to be used for their career advancement program. Dustin Hoffman, a five-time Golden Globe winner and recipient of a Cecil B. de Mille award, received grants totaling $85,00 on behalf of LACMA/Film Independent film screenings, LA Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats project and UC Berkeley Pacific Film Archive.
Two-time Golden Globe winner John Travolta accepted grants on behalf of a prestigious group of film schools: AFI, CalArts, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State LA, Cal State Northridge, Columbia, LACC, Loyola Marymount, NYU, UCLA and University of North Carolina, totaling $ 445,000.
Kerry Washington, star of Quentin Tarantino‘s Django Unchained, accepted FilmAid International’s $ 50,000 donation in support of screenings and filmmaker training in Kenyan refugee camps.
Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks accepted grants on behalf of Film Independent’s Project Involve, the Independent Filmmaker Project and the International Documentary Association, while the star and producer of the drama series Boss, Kelsey Grammer received grants on behalf of two theater groups, the Ensemble Studio Theater and Gingold Theatre Group.
Golden Globe winner Don Johnson accepted on behalf of American Cinematheque’s $ 40,000 grant in support of the HFPA’s annual foreign film director symposium, and Golden Globe nominee Jack Black received donations on behalf of several non profits aimed at children and young adults: Lollipop Theater Network, Pablove Foundation, Young Musicians Foundation and Young Storytellers Foundation.
Step Up Revolution stars Ryan Guzman and Kathryn McCormick accepted donations on behalf of various organizations dedicated to bringing arts education to underserved communities: Ghetto Film School, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Inner-City Arts, Inner City Filmmakers and California State Summer School Arts Foundation.
Other grantees were Visual Communications’ Asian American Film and TV Professionals Conference; the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment’s writers awards; the Levantine Cultural Center’s series of Middle Eastern film screenings; Outfest’s Legacy Project; the National Association of Latino Independent Producers; the Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles and Streetlights’ Powerhouse Filmmakers Lab. Political Animals’ Carla Gugino, Dallas’ Jordana Brewster and Josh Henderson accepted on their behalf.
