HOLLYWOOD, CA, May 6, 2015 — The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has pledged to donate $2 million to the Los Angeles City College Foundation for the college’s Cinema and Television Department. In recognition of this gift, the department will be renamed the HFPA Center for Cinema and Television at Los Angeles City College. This donation serves as a symbol of the HFPA’s dedication to the school and its students pursuing careers in the film and television industry. Funds from this donation will be used to upgrade all studio, post production and theater facilities to today’s industry HD standards and include numerous annual scholarships.
“The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is excited to donate this contribution to the Los Angeles City College Film & TV Department. We are dedicated to providing resources to students who have a passion for the film and television industry, so they can become the next great generation of writers, producers, cinematographers, and directors. This is much more than a donation, this is a commitment to these young scholars for many years to come,” said Theo Kingma, president of the HFPA.
As a journalistic organization, the HFPA is committed to organize year-around roundtables, seminars and screenings for students and introduce them to today’s entertainment industry.
The LACC Foundation was created in 1968 to develop private support for the College. Through a combination of revenue-generating enterprises and traditional fundraising activities, the Foundation works to fill the unmet need of students striving to improve their lives through higher education. The Foundation directs 100% of all donated funds to support for the College and to financially assist the students of LACC. During the 2013/2014 academic year, the Foundation provided in excess of $600,000 to more than 1,000 students in the form of scholarships, textbook vouchers, emergency loans and grants. Additionally, the Foundation provided more than $230,000 to the campus for support of its department initiatives, and an additional $1.6 million in grants from private foundations for various programs across the campus.
Robert Schwartz, Executive Director of the Los Angeles College Foundation, said “The LACC Foundation is truly honored to be the recipient of this extraordinary gift from the Hollywood Foreign Press. This donation will be transformational in its impact, not only in the upgrade of facilities at the college’s cinema and television program, but also in the effect that this will have on the lives of the more than 1,500 students who will study at the HFPA Center for Cinema and Television each semester.”
“Los Angeles City College is highly appreciative of this generous gift from The Hollywood Foreign Press Association. This gift will provide the resources that our students need in order to successfully compete in the world of film and television. As the oldest and only LA-based college in Hollywood, it is fitting that the HFPA Center for Cinema and Television be located at LACC,” said Renee Martinez, Los Angeles City College’s President.
The HFPA is honored to donate such a gracious allotment to prepare students for a career in film, television, and entertainment. Last year, the HFPA presented $1.9 million in financial grants to film schools and non-profit organizations at its annual Grants Banquet.
About the Hollywood Foreign Press Association:
Founded in the 1940s during World War II, the HFPA was originally comprised of a handful of LA based overseas journalists who sought to bridge the international community with Hollywood, and to provide distraction from the hardships of war through film. Seventy years later, members of the HFPA represent 55 countries with a combined readership of 250 million in some of the world’s most respected publications. Each year, the organization holds the third most watched awards show on television, the Golden Globe® Awards, which have enabled the organization to donate more than $20 million to entertainment related charities and scholarship programs. For more information, please visit www.hfpa.org and www.goldenglobes.com and follow us on Twitter (@goldenglobes) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/goldenglobes).
About the Los Angeles City College
Founded in 1929, Los Angeles City College is set on 49 acres near downtown Los Angeles. During its first year, the College offered only first-semester courses to about 1,300 students. Today, LACC educates more than 17,000 students and awards more than 900 degrees and certificates annually.
Originally established as part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nine-campus Los Angeles Community College District did not become a separate, autonomous entity until 1969. A seven-member elected Board of Trustees is responsible for governance. The college facilities include more than a dozen multistory classroom buildings including a library, computer labs, fitness center, theatre, and TV/film studios. Through a $147 million bond award, the college has enhanced the campus with a new advanced technology learning facility, increased parking, and expanded athletic/fitness and child development centers. The bond program continues with the construction of a dedicated Student Services building and the refurbishment of the music building, art building, Holmes Hall and the administration building.
Serving the Greater Los Angeles area, LACC’s student population is among the most diverse in the nation. Of the College’s more than 17,000 students, 45% are first-generation college students and more than 30% primarily speak a language other than English at home. People with disabilities compose 10% of the student body. LACC students are Hispanic/Latino (46%); Caucasian (19%); Asian/Pacific Islander (17%); African American/Black (12%); and Other (6%). It is a population composed predominantly of students from working poor backgrounds, 70% of whom are eligible for tuition waivers and 53% of whom rely on additional financial assistance. The median income of LACC students is $16,233, and one quarter of students earn less than $5,544 per year.
LACC alumni have had a direct and profound impact on our community. Our alumni include notable educators; civic leaders and politicians; business leaders; Oscar, Emmy and Grammy recipients; and medical and technology professionals; including Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood, Alan Arkin, Congresswoman Diane Watson, Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, Nobel Prize Laureate Lawrence Klein, Architect Frank Gehry, dancer Alvin Ailey, and many, many others.
LACC offers 64 associate’s degree programs, more than 70 degree-applicable, career-technical and skills certificates and an additional 35 non-credit certificates of competency and completion. LACC has extraordinary vocational programs, with health science degrees in Radiologic and Dental Technology that are ranked number one in the country. LACC awards nearly 1,000 degrees and certificates annually
