The Hollywood Foreign Press Association presented $3.25 million at their annual Grants Banquet held at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. The evening was hosted by William H. Macy. Talent who accepted grants on behalf of nonprofit organizations included Alfonso Cuaron, Alfre Woodard, Amber Heard, Ben Hardy, Billy Porter, Charlize Theron, Chris Messina, Christian Slater, Cody Fern, Connie Britton, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Fanning, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Jason Bateman, Jason Reitman, Jennifer Garner, Joey King, John Cho, John David Washington, Lena Waithe, MJ Rodriguez, Nia Long, Rami Malek, Regina King, and Steve Carell.

Highlights from the evening included:

•  William H. Macy took the stage and led the evening as emcee. “There will be no colluding, fake news, nepotism, tweets, swamp draining, document checking, boats being untied and sent adrift or alternative facts,” said Macy. “Tonight, we are here to do good; and by that, I mean give out more than $3 million to various worldwide charities, educational institutions, and community support groups.”
• HFPA President Meher Tatna welcomed the room expressing the mission of the HFPA. “We will continue to put on special screenings, expert panel discussions, and more to affirm our commitment to recognize the best in film and television from around the world.
• Steve Carell presented a $250,000 grant to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES). The Texas-based 501(c)(3) promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees in Central and South Texas.  RAICES has been instrumental in the fight to reunite families who were recently separated at the border.  As an organization comprised of primarily immigrants, RAICES’ advocacy and representation for those seeking refuge in the US is one that the HFPA vigorously supports.
• Charlize Theron accepted a generous grant on behalf of the Film Foundation.  Preservation of Hollywood’s classics is a major focus of the HFPA. “It has become the leading organization devoted to fundraising, increasing awareness of preservation, and issuing grants to safeguard this country’s cinematic heritage. It aids in preserving movie history by providing support for preservation projects at film archives.”
• Jennifer Garner took the stage to accept a new grant from the HFPA awarded to The Actors Gang, the nonprofit founded by actor Tim Robbins. “For an actor, performing works that are relevant to the world in which we live is the ultimate reward,” said Garner. “The goal of this program is finding a creative prevention; reaching those students who do not respond to traditional learning methods by giving them the freedom of self-expression.”
• John Cho, accompanied on stage by Nia Long, accepted a grant on behalf of the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, which offers year-round services to Asian Pacific American entertainment professionals. “As someone born in Seoul, South Korea who lives and works in L.A., I passionately believe that promoting diversity and cross-cultural awareness is more important than ever to ensure fair and interesting storytelling and to give minority filmmakers the opportunity to broaden the audiences’ horizon,” said Cho.
• Cynthia Erivo brought the house down with a special performance of The Wiz’s “Home.”
• Jason Bateman was joined on stage by Dakota Fanning and accepted a grant on behalf of California State University Dominguez Hills Film School. “Many of the more than 15,000 students are minorities, often struggling with homelessness; others care for children or aging parents, or are undocumented or products of the foster care system. This HFPA Fellowship will assist those students who face financial hardships and give them an innovative strategy for success”
• Jason Reitman and Alfonso Cuaron took to the stage to announce a recently formed initiative led by the HFPA in partnership with Film Independent. Rising filmmakers from the 2018 Venice International Film Festival and the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival will be selected for a three-week residency program where they will travel to Los Angeles in January for mentorship, master classes, and workshops to help hone their skills. They will attend screenings and education events hosted by Film Independent and attend the HFPA-hosted 76^th Annual Golden Globe® Awards viewing party.

“Tonight, we are here to do good’ – scenes from a night of grant-giving: Alfonso Cuarón and Jason Reitman; Cynthia Erivo brings down the house with ‘Home’; Pose stars Billy Porter and MJ Rodriguez; host William H. Macy.

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Grant recipients of the HFPA fall in four major areas: nurturing the development of young artists in film and television through support for scholarships, fellowships and education; preserving the culture and history of motion pictures by supporting film preservation; promoting cultural exchange and understanding through support for major programs and exhibitions that utilize film to ignite critical dialogue; and supporting special projects, educational and cultural activities connected with the entertainment industry. The HFPA began giving grants as early as 1989 to institutions such as University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Southern California (USC) and the American Cinematheque, which continue to receive support today. The HFPA has created endowments at Los Angeles colleges and universities to help underserved students such as Los Angeles Community College and California State University, Northridge.

For more than 25 years, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has donated over $33 million to entertainment-related charities, scholarship programs, and humanitarian efforts. Licensing fees obtained from the Awards show has allowed the HFPA to support over 80 nonprofits focused on education in film and television, film preservation, journalistic organizations committed to freedom of speech, as well as organizations that support natural disaster relief and other international and humanitarian crises such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC), FilmAid International, The Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation, and Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES).

Hollywood Foreign Press Association 2018 Grant Recipients:

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 – $20,000
• New York University – $50,000
• Santa Monica College – $30,000
• University of California, Los Angeles – $125,000

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & MENTORING

• American Film Institute – $40,000
• Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment – $20,000
• 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 – $15,000
• New Filmmakers Los Angeles – $15,000
• SAG-AFTRA Foundation – $10,000
• Streetlights – $20,000
• Sundance Institute – $125,000
• Veterans in Film & Television – $30,000
• Sharewell (Zimmer Children’s Museum) – $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) – $40,000
• Kids in the Spotlight – $10,000
• LAUSD/USC Arts & Engineering Magnet – $25,000
• Los Angeles County High School for the Arts – $25,000
• Los Angeles LGBT Center – $10,000
• The Music Center – $5,000

PRESERVE THE CULTURE & HISTORY OF FILM

• Film Noir – $50,000
• Outfest (UCLA LGBT project) – $35,000
• The Film Foundation – $350,000

PROMOTE CULTURAL EXCHANGE THROUGH FILM

• American Cinematheque – $45,000
• Film Independent/LACMA Series – $300,000
• FilmAid International – $200,000
• 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 – $35,000
• Ensemble Studio Theatre – $15,000
• Gingold Theatre Group/Shaw Festival – $20,000
• Lollipop Theater Network – $20,000
• Pablove Foundation – $20,000
• The Moth – $70,000
• Young Musicians Foundation – $10,000
• Young Storytellers Foundation – $10,000

2018 NEW GRANTEES

• American Documentary Association – $30,000
• Australians in Film – $10,000
• Cal State Dominguez Hills – $30,000
• Cal State Dominguez Hills – $5,000
• City Year Los Angeles – $10,000
• Dag Hammarskjold Fund for Journalists – $10,000
• GetLit – Worlds Ignite – $10,000
• IndieCollect – $10,000
• LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes Foundation – $10,000
• POPS the Club – $10,000
• Southwestern Law School – $30,000
• The Actor’s Gang – $10,000
• Women in Film – $10,000

2018 ONE-TIME EQUIPMENT GRANTS

• Cal State Fullerton – $25,000
• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles – $20,730
• Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA – $10,000
• Film Independent, Project Involve – $25,000
• Inner City Filmmakers (Santa Monica) – $49,300
• Los Angeles Conservancy – $10,000
• New Filmmakers Los Angeles – $21,000
• Outfest – $50,000
• Santa Monica College – $20,000
• Sharewell (Zimmer Children’s Museum) – $43,220
• Streetlights – $23,700
• Young Musicians Foundation – $7,500