Hollywood Foreign Press Association Awards Thousands to Cal State LA

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which presents the annual Golden Globe Awards, is continuing its longstanding support of California State University, Los Angeles with new awards announced last week.

The organization awarded thousands in grant, fellowship and endowment funds to Cal State LA during the HFPA's annual Grants Banquet held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

"Cal State LA has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association," said Cal State LA President William A. Covino. "The association's support helps us provide students with the education and experiences they need to thrive in the entertainment industry."

This year Cal State LA received a $60,000 HFPA grant for the University's Department of Television, Film and Media Studies.

The prestigious award will fund fellowship programs within the department and help undergraduate and graduate students offset the costs of higher education.

The association also presented Cal State LA a $30,000 equipment grant to keep current with the latest technology and an additional $2,650 toward an endowment to support scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students.

"Cal State LA is honored to receive educational support from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in order to train the next generation of filmmakers and professionals in the entertainment industry," said Dean Rennie B. Schoepflin of the College of Arts and Letters at Cal State LA.

The University's Department of TV, Film and Media Studies, together with the Department of Theatre and Dance, offers an MFA program in TV, Film and Theatre. The program brings the three creative arms of the entertainment industry-production, writing and acting-together in cohorts.

The Department of TVFM is housed in the state-of-the-art Television, Film and Media Center. Hollywood's top producers, directors, screenwriters and actors often serve as university guest speakers and mentors.

The HFPA is a non-profit organization of journalists who disseminate information about movies and television through various publications throughout the world.

The mission of the HFPA's Charitable Trust is to foster education, diversity and creative expression in art and film through a variety of programs and special grants. Over the past 25 years, the HFPA has committed nearly $30 million in grants, provided more than 1,500 scholarships and helped restore over 90 films.

Photo: President William A. Covino, First Lady Debbie Covino, and Dean Rennie B. Schoepflin of the College of Arts and Letters attended the HFPA's Grants Banquet and spoke to Golden Globe winner Dustin Hoffman. (Credit: Cal State LA)