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Publicity Release Posted: August 09, 2012 18:59:42 EST

Financial Grants Given to Entertainment-Related Charities, Foundations and Scholarship Programs

HOLLYWOOD, August 09, 2012 | SHOOT Publicity Wire | --- The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) celebrated their annual luncheon today at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. The star-studded luncheon presented over $1.2 million in financial grants to film schools and non-profit organizations and also celebrated the election of the HFPA's 2012-2013 officers.

HFPA president, Dr. Aida Takla-O'Reilly, welcomed friends and guests to their annual luncheon and announced the 2012 grant recipients. Actor Bradley Cooper kicked off the presentation with the help of Steven Spielberg (The Film Foundation), Jennifer Lawrence (Sundance Institute), John Travolta (AFI, CalArts, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State LA, Cal State Northridge, Columbia, LACC, Loyola Marymount, NYU, UCLA, University of North Carolina), Dustin Hoffman (LACMA, LA Conservancy, UC Berkeley Pacific Film Archive), Kelsey Grammer (Ensemble Studio Theatre, Gingold Theater Group), Don Johnson (American Cinematheque), Kerry Washington (FilmAid International), Jack Black (Lollipop Theater Network, Pablove Foundation, Young Musicians Foundation, Young Storytellers Foundation), Christina Hendricks (Film Independent, Independent Filmmaker Project, International Documentary Association), Carla Gugino (Visual Communications, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, Levantine Cultural Center), Jordana Brewster & Josh Henderson (Outfest, National Association of Latino Independent Producers, Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles, Streetlights) and Ryan Guzman & Kathryn McCormick (Ghetto Film School, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Inner-City Arts, Inner City Filmmakers, California State Summer School).

At the luncheon Dr. Takla-O'Reilly informed the audience about the work the HFPA has done this past year: "Thanks for 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."

New HFPA president, board, officers installed
Dr. Aida Takla O'Reilly will serve her second term as President, with Jorge Camara as Vice President, Serge Rakhlin as Executive Secretary and Ali Sar once again as Treasurer.

Dr. Takla-O'Reilly also introduced the new HFPA officers and members of the board: Jorge Camara (Vice President), Ali Sar (Treasurer), Serge Rakhlin (Executive Secretary), Ruben Nepales (Chairman), Helen Hoehne, Yukiko Nakajima, Lorenzo Soria, Yoram Kahana, and Dierk Sinderman (Alternate).

HFPA 2012 GRANTS:

HIGHER EDUCATION FELLOWSHIPS & INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
• American Film Institute- $30,000.00 Fellowships
• California Institute for the Arts (CalArts)- $60,000.00 Fellowships
• Cal State Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation- $10,000.00 Capstone film project
• Cal State Long Beach- $50,000.00 Film production costs for student films
• Cal State Los Angeles- $50,000.00 Fellowships
• Cal State Northridge- $50,000.00 Fellowships
• Columbia University- $50,000.00 Fellowships
• Los Angeles City College- $15,000.00 Fellowships
• Loyola Marymount University- $15,000.00 Fellowships
• New York University- $40,000.00 Fellowships
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)- $40,000.00 Fellowships
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)- $25,000.00 Festival of New Creative Work
• University of North Carolina- $10,000.00 Fellowships

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & MENTORING
• Coalition of Asian Pacific's in Entertainment (CAPE)- $11,000.00 Writers' Awards
• Film Independent, Project: Involve- $35,000.00 General support
• Independent Filmmaker Project- $15,000.00 General support for Independent Filmmaker Labs
• International Documentary Association- $10,000.00 General support for Doc U
• National Association of Latino Independent Producers- $15,000.00 Expenses for Latino Producers Academy mentors
• Streetlights- $7,500.00 Mentors for Powerhouse Filmmakers Lab
• Sundance Institute- $50,000.00 General funding for career advancement program
• Visual Communications- $7,000.00 Asian-American film & TV professionals conference

PRE-PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & EDUCATION
• California State Summer School Arts - $20,000.00 Scholarships
• Ghetto Film School- $20,000.00 General support
• Inner-City Arts- $25,000.00 General support
• Inner City Filmmakers- $25,000.00 General support for job placement program
• Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Foundation- $20,000.00 Screenwriting classes & equipment repair

PRESERVE THE CULTURE & HISTORY OF FILM
• The Film Foundation, Inc- $250,000.00 Preservation of two films
• Los Angeles Conservancy- $35,000.00 General support for Last Remaining Seats
• Outfest (UCLA LGBT project)- $30,000.00 General support for expansion of Legacy Project
• University of California, Berkeley, Pacific Film Archive- $15,000.00 Support for guest filmmaker travel

PROMOTE CULTURAL EXCHANGE THROUGH FILM
• American Cinematheque- $40,000.00 Golden Globe foreign language nominees seminar
• FilmAid International- $50,000.00 Screenings & filmmaker training in Kenyan refugee camps
• Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles- $10,000.00 Screenings at various festivals
• Levantine Cultural Center- $17,500.00 General support of monthly Middle Eastern film series

SPECIAL PROJECTS
• Ensemble Studio Theatre- $15,000.00 General support for new play development
• Gingold Theatre Group/Shaw Festival- $5,000.00 General support for Shaw productions
• Lollipop Theater Network- $15,000.00 Film screenings for children in SoCal & NY hospitals
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art- $35,000.00 Support for Film Independent/ LACMA Film Program
• Young Musicians Foundation- $10,000.00 General support for youth orchestra
• Pablove Foundation- $5,000.00 Support for photo project for sick kids
• Young Storytellers Foundation - $5,000.00 Storytelling, writing & play production for inner-city kids

About the Hollywood Foreign Press Association:
Founded in the 1940s during World War II, the HFPA was originally comprised of a handful of LA based overseas journalists who sought to bridge the international community with Hollywood, and to provide distraction from the hardships of war through film. Sixty-eight years later, members of the HFPA represent 55 countries with a combined readership of 250 million in some of the world's most respected publications. Each year, the organization holds the third most watched awards show on television, the Golden Globe^® Awards, which have enabled the organization to donate more than $12 million to entertainment related charities and scholarship programs. For more information, please visit www.goldenglobes.org, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for exclusive celebrity videos and up to the minute Golden Globes news!

Contact Info
Michael Samonte/ Arpi Ketendjian
Sunshine, Sachs & Associates
Contact Michael or Arpi via email
323.822.9300