You know the fall season is ramping up when the stars come out in mid summer for The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the HFPA, aka, The Golden Globes grants banquet dinner at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. This is the first event to start garnering publicity. That’s the only reason Warren Beatty would appear since he is notoriously press shy. But there he was, getting ready for the PR launch of his much anticipated “Rules Don’t Apply.”
When it was time to make his presentation, Warren said, “I always love coming back to this hotel,” prompting giggles from the crowd. Warren then had his funny stern look on and continued, “Because I lived here for 12 years.”
Beatty gave the award to groups that preserve old film, including the nitrate films that are preserved in fireproof vaults. He then said, “ Who knows, maybe this hotel could be responsible for the preservation and restoration of me. But I’m not flammable.”
The HFPA gave out nearly $2.4 million in funds to non-profit entertainment-related organizations, foundations and scholarship programs. True to form the night, which is not televised was irreverent and casual. The always-adept Jamie Lee Curtis hosted the event and told me before, “I asked to host this, it’s one of the few nights in Hollywood were you give and you don’t get.” I asked her that after growing up in Hollywood and being a celebrity most of her life, does she get jaded? “Nah, I have a privileged life, I know that.”
I also spoke to Hugh Grant who gives a career resurgence performance in the lovely, “Florence Foster Jenkins,” opposite Meryl Streep.
Where has he been I asked him? “There are lot of things that pull me back to London, children, politics and a bit of work. But I have to say it’s been kind of wonderful the reception I’m getting here this time around. It took me truly by surprise.”
Mel Gibson and Jon Voight– two of Tinseltown’s pariahs– were deep in conversation. Jon, an avid Trump supporter and a longtime friend of the orthodox Jewish community, told me that “Mel is on the right track now. He’s good.” (It’s like Mussolini saying Hitler is getting more popular.)
Jaime got the night started by advising the heavy industry and celeb crowd regarding the Presidential race, “to give a shit. Get some skin in the game, participate in the process, no matter who you support.” She introduced Justin Timberlake, who mentioned that, “As a boy growing up in Memphis, one of my all time films was “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” That film ignited my passion.” He presented the grant to Film preservation groups.
Hugh Grant followed him and cheekily observed, “I didn’t know this thing existed. I’ve been out of touch. I didn’t know that the HFPA gave away grants. I didn’t know you had all this money. It’s frighteningly sinister that you do.”
Then as only Hugh can in his proper British English, he emphasized his teleprompter lines, “This extraordinary endowment, from Dick Clark productions, cracked up the room. Lovely “Jane The Virgin’s” Gina Rodriguez came on followed by a glowing Renee Zellweger. Renee then introduced Emma Stone, who had told me prior that her recent stint with Steve Carell in the just wrapped, “Battle of the Sexes,” the story about tennis greats Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, was a terrific experience for her. “I met Billie a number of times, she came to the set. Steve is just the nicest guy in show business. When we shot on location, he made sure to help everyone, cast, crew, off the buses. He’s that thoughtful.”
HFPA President Lorenzo Soria commented, “We live in difficult, complicated and very divisive times, but we should not and we will not despair. For the arts bring us relief and understanding, they bring us light and hope, they bring us joy and wonder, and they can unite us regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.” the teleprompter had gotten stuck.
The night ended early Hollywood event time, by 9 pm, so everyone, including Chris Evans, Simon Helberg, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and the industry saturated crowd seemed thrilled about that.
HFPA 2016 GRANTS:
HIGHER EDUCATION FELLOWSHIPS & INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
California Institute for the Arts (CalArts) – $60,000
Cal State Fullerton – $25,500
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 – $2,550
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 – $30,000
Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment – $15,000
Exceptional Minds – $25,000
Film Independent, Project: Involve – $60,000
Independent Filmmaker Project (Brooklyn, NY) – $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 – $10,000
Sundance Institute – $100,000
Women Make Movies – $10,000
PRE-PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & EDUCATION
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
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 Foundation – $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 at LACMA, Bring the Noise – $125,000
FilmAid International – $60,000
Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles – $15,000
Library Foundation of Los Angeles – $10,000
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 – $25,000
Ensemble Studio Theatre – $15,000
Gingold Theatre Group/Shaw Festival – $10,000
Lollipop Theater Network – $20,000
Pablove Foundation – $10,000
Young Musicians Foundation – $10,000
Young Storytellers Foundation – $10,000
ONE TIME GRANTS
Higher Education: Fellowships & Institutional Support
Cal State Fullerton – $50,000
Cal State Long Beach – $40,000
Cal State Los Angeles – $50,000
Mount San Antonio College – $30,000
Other Grantees
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts – $41,466
Motion Picture and Television Fund – $47,665
2016 GRANTS FOR NEW GRANTEES
Kids in the Spotlight – $10,000
Hollywood Heritage Museum – $10,000
Tony Bennett’s 90th birthday party dinner at the Rainbow Room was something the guests will be talking about for the rest of their lives.
