Hollywood's Foreign Press Awards Northridge Nearly $90,000

With actor Jim Carrey doing the honors, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association awarded Cal State Northridge $89,000 during a star-studded luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel earlier this month.

A little less than half the gift, $39,000, will go toward buying a new Avid postproduction editing system for the university's Cinema and Television Arts Department. The remaining $50,000 will help the department's students fund their senior film projects, required for graduation and screened each spring during CSUN's annual student film showcase at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

"We have a very important relationship with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association," said John Schultheiss, chair of the Department of Cinema and Television Arts. "Its members have been absolutely committed to supporting our film program and our media students. This is just another extraordinary example of their commitment."

The gift was made during the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's annual installation luncheon honoring its 2004-2005 slate of officers on Aug. 11.

Actor Jim Carrey presented the award to Northridge film professors Temma Kramer and Nate Thomas.

Among the other celebrities attending the event were Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ernest Borgnine, David Carradine, Leonardo DiCaprio, Anne and Kirk Douglas, Natalie Portman, John C. Reilly, David O. Russell, Mark Wahlberg and Raquel Welch.

"The luncheon is an annual event of major importance to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association because this is the time we get to distribute considerable amounts of money to some very worthy organizations," said the association's president, Lorenzo Soria. "The Golden Globes is not only the night in which we celebrate artistic achievements, it is also our fund-raising night. This luncheon is a great opportunity for us to give back to the community."

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is comprised of international journalists who report on the entertainment industry. It hosts the Golden Globes each year. During the past 10 years, the association has granted more than $3.5 million in charitable donations.

Contact: Carmen Ramos Chandler, (818) 677-2130, carmen.chandler@csun.edu