Thursday, December 12, 2024

Awards: National Board of Review Tax Exempt 2019 Finances: $600K in Revenue, $300K in Salaries, $0 in Aid to Filmmakers

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EXCLUSIVE It’s the same old song.

This week we all received the National Board of Review’s winners of film prizes for 2022. The NBR is a fan based group that charges membership fees, then charges those members again to attend their annual gala. The whole thing is run by Annie Schulhof, who determines the winners of the prizes. David Laub, an executive with A24 Films, is on the board. This year, A24 got 7 citations for its films.

The finances of the NBR are always a question. Their most recent tax filing as a not for profit, 501 c(3), tells an interesting story. For 2019-20, with most of it falling in 2019, is alarming as usual.

Total revenue was $585,456. Total salaries came to $317,933. Net assets were listed as $556,323.

What did this not for profit entity distribute from their coffers? The answer is $0. Zero dollars. Nothing. Goose eggs. This was down from a mere $72,500 in 2018.

And still they claimed a loss of $48,044 from their one event, the annual gala at Cipriani 42nd St. where they charge studios for picking up the tables, and members to sit at them.

The NBR’s expenses including over $46,000 for rent, and $20,000 for advertising/promotion, office expenses, and “information technology” (that would be their mimeograph machine). The first listing– advertising/promotion– is ridiculous on its face since the studios use the NBR awards in their own ads. The NBR doesn’t promote itself.

It’s a scam. Nice work if you can get it. All this to have your picture taken with actors.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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