The always-quippy and clever Chelsea Handler hosted tonight’s Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s annual Grants Banquet at the Beverly Wilshire. She was a terrific host starting the evening by saying, “I’m going to remain completely non-partisan. So lets celebrate the 3 things Donald Trump hates most, foreigners, the press and donating money to charity.” She pointed out the group’s philanthropy as “something we need to hold steadfast to.” She then told the industry and celeb filled crowd that the $2.8 million dollars would go to worthy charities and to “Anthony Scaramucci’s 401 K.” She added, “make sure to tip him when he brings you your car at the valet.”
New HFPA President Meher Tatna then introduced Dustin Hoffman. Chelsea couldn’t help herself and whispered in his ear, “see you upstairs. 1025 that’s my room.” Dustin joked, “you gotta like how she set the tone for the evening.’ Hoffman recounted his long past with the HFPA. “It was 1967, there were maybe 20 of them. I was best newcomer. It was at the Coconut Grove. I saw John Wayne and Sally Kellerman, I think she was doing ‘The Flying Nun,’ then.” PMK powerhouse PR person Heidi Schaeffer, along with others, gently corrected him and said, “Sally Field,” a longtime client of Schaeffer’s. Dustin gave his mea culpa in his trademark smile as he told the crowd to look at the screen for the upcoming video, which he did and briefly saw himself up there. “That’s me? I’m not that old. Maybe a little work on the chin now?”
Director Ava Duvernay followed along with other presenters including Robert Pattinson, Bob Odenkirk, Alison Brie, Mark Hamill, Armie Hammer, Matt Bomer, Anthony Mackie, Aja Naomi King, Kathryn Hahn, Kumail Nanjiani Chadwick Boseman, Patrick Stewart, Elizabeth Moss, Chrissy Metz, Katherine Langford, Dylan Minnette and Stan Lee whom the crowd was thrilled to see. Tony nominee Keala Settle sang “The Greatest Love Of All, “ beautifully. Other celebs were Ali Fazal, who’s supposed to be award worthy terrific in the upcoming Focus Feature, “Victoria & Abdul,” opposite Dame Judi Dench no less, Jon Voight who hung out with his “Midnight Cowboy,” co-star Hoffman, Zoe-Lister Jones and Jenny Slate.
Chelsea then ended the night pride fully saying to the grateful crowd, “two-point eight million dollars distributed to over 55 charities in just under 2 hours. I told you I would get you out of here by 9 pm!”
Below is the full list of grants.
A full list of the grants and scholarships follows:
HIGHER EDUCATION: FELLOWSHIPS & INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
California Institute for the Arts (CalArts) – $60,000
Cal State Fullerton – $60,000
Cal State Long Beach – $60,000
Cal State Los Angeles – $60,000
Cal State Northridge – $60,000
Columbia University – $60,000
Los Angeles City College – $25,000
Mt. San Antonio College Foundation – $10,000
New York University – $50,000
University of California, Los Angeles – $125,000
HFPA SCHOLARSHIP/FELLOWSHIP ENDOWMENTS
American Film Institute – $20,000
CalArts – $12,500
Cal State Fullerton – $5,000
Cal State Long Beach – $5,000
Cal State Los Angeles – $2,650
Cal State Northridge – $5,000
Columbia University – $20,000
Los Angeles City College – $4,000
Loyola Marymount – $20,000
Mt. San Antonio College Foundation – $5,000
New York University – $20,000
UCLA – $20,000
University of North Carolina – $5,000
University of Southern California – $20,000
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & MENTORING
American Film Institute – $40,000
Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment – $15,000
Exceptional Minds – $25,000
Film Independent, Project: Involve – $60,000
Independent Filmmaker Project (Brooklyn) – $20,000
International Documentary Association – $10,000
Motion Picture & Television Fund – $10,000
New Filmmakers Los Angeles – $10,000
SAG-AFTRA Foundation – $10,000
Streetlights – $15,000
Sundance Institute – $125,000
Women Make Movies – $10,000
PRE-PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION & MENTORING
California State Summer School Arts Foundation – $25,000
Echo Park Film Center – $10,000
Ghetto Film School – $30,000
GlobalGirl Media – $10,000
Inner-City Arts (Downtown LA) – $30,000
Inner City Filmmakers (Santa Monica) – $30,000
Kids in the Spotlight – $10,000
LAUSD/USC Arts & Engineering Magnet – $25,000
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts – $25,000
The Music Center – $5,000
PRESERVE THE CULTURE & HISTORY OF FILM
Film Noir – $25,000
Outfest (UCLA LGBT project) – $35,000
The Film Foundation – $350,000
Toronto International Film Festival – $15,000
PROMOTE CULTURAL EXCHANGE THROUGH FILM
American Cinematheque – $45,000
Film Independent/LACMA Series – $125,000
FilmAid International – $100,000
Hollywood Heritage Museum – $10,000
Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles – $15,000
Library Foundation of Los Angeles – $20,000
Los Angeles Conservancy, Last Remaining Seats – $35,000
Museum of the Moving Image – $10,000
San Francisco Silent Film Festival – $10,000
University of California, Berkeley Film Archive – $20,000
University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (Ebertfest) – $10,000
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles – $25,000
Ensemble Studio Theatre – $15,000
Gingold Theatre Group/Shaw Festival – $10,000
Lollipop Theater Network – $20,000
Pablove Foundation – $20,000
Young Musicians Foundation – $10,000
Young Storytellers Foundation – $10,000
2017 NEW GRANTEES
Los Angeles LGBT Center – $10,000
Santa Monica College – $30,000
The Moth – $70,000
Veterans in Film & Television – $10,000
Zimmer Children’s Museum – $10,000
2017 ONE-TIME EQUIPMENT GRANTS
CalArts – $31,104
Cal State Long Beach – $30,000
Cal State Los Angeles – $30,000
Echo Park Film Center – $50,000
Film Independent, Project Involve – $40,000
Motion Picture and Television Fund – $50,000
Mount San Antonio College – $30,000
