The Hollywood Foreign Press is giving away a record $1.579,500 to film-related organizations and charities this year.

The  donations were handed out at the star-studded Grants and Installation Lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel on August 4. Leonardo DiCaprio accepted a check for $350,000 on behalf of the Film Foundation, which was founded by Martin Scorsese for the preservation and restoration of classic films. Other A-listers who were  there accepting donations included Mark Wahlberg, Gerard Butler, Hugh Dancy, Jessica Chastain, Kevin Bacon, Lea Michele, Taylor Lautner, Elizabeth Olsen, Yoshiki and Jim Sturgess. HFPA President Dr Aida Takla- O’ Reilly informed the audience about the work HFPA has done over the past year:  “Thanks to many of you sitting in this room today, the Association has been able to give back over 1.5 million dollars to the most deserving entertainment-related charities, foundations, and scholarship programs.  After today’s festivities, we can proudly say our organization has donated more than 13.5 million dollars over the past 17 years through our grants program.” She went on to say that, “This year, the HFPA membership also made it a priority to lend a helping hand in the wake of devastating international disasters.  Over $250,000 was donated to those affected by the Haitian and Chilean earthquakes and the Japanese tsunami.” Dr. O’Reilly also introduced the new HFPA officers: Jorge Camara (Vice President), Ali Sar (Treasurer), Serge Rakhlin (Executive Secretary).  The new Board of Directors is comprised of Philip Berk (Chairman), Yoram Kahana, Yukiko Nakajima, Ruben Nepales, Meher Tatna, and Theo Kingma (Alternate). 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.  Sixty-eight 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 $12 million to entertainment related charities and scholarship programs. For more information, please visit www.hfpa.org, and follow us on Twitter (@goldenglobes) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/goldenglobes) for exclusive celebrity videos and up to the minute Golden Globes news! HFPA 2011 GRANTS: HIGHER EDUCATION FELLOWHISP & INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ·    American Film Institute- $30,000.00 Fellowships ·    Asuza Pacific University- $7,500.00 Senior capstone projects ·    California Institute for the Arts (CalArts)- $60,000.00 Fellowships ·    Cal State Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation- $10,000.00 Capstone film project ·    Cal State Long Beach- $50,000.00 Film production costs for student films ·    Cal State Los Angeles- $50,000.00 Fellowships ·    Cal State Northridge- $50,000.00 Fellowships ·    Chapman University/Dodge College- $7,500.00     Fellowships ·    Columbia University- $50,000.00 Fellowships ·    Los Angeles City College- $15,000.00 Fellowships ·    Loyola Marymount University- $15,000.00 Fellowships ·    New York University- $36,000.00 Fellowships ·    University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)- $80,000.00 Fellowships ·    University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)- $30,000.00 Festival of New Creative Work ·    University of North Carolina- $20,000.00 Fellowships PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & MENTORING ·    Coalition of Asian Pacific’s in Entertainment (CAPE)- $11,000.00  General support for New Writers Awards competition ·    Film Independent, Project Involve- $35,000.00 General support ·    Independent Feature Project- $15,000.00 General support for Independent Filmmaker Labs ·    International Documentary Association- $10,000.00 General support for Doc U ·    National Association of Latino Independent Producers- $20,000.00 Expenses for Latino Producers Academy mentors ·    New York Stage & Film Company- $7,500.00 Expenses for mentors for Powerhouse Filmmakers Lab ·    Streetlights- $7,500.00 General funding for career advancement program ·    Sundance Institute- $100,000.00 For general support for screenwriter labs & Creative Producing Summit ·    Tribeca Film Festival- $10,000.00 General funding for Tribeca All Access mentoring program PRE-PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & EDUCATION ·    California State Summer School Arts Foundation- $20,000.00 Scholarships ·    Ghetto Film School- $20,000.00 General support ·    Inner-City Arts- $25,000.00 General support ·    Inner City Filmmakers- $25,000.00 General support for job placement program ·    Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Foundation- $20,000.00 Screenwriting classes & equipment repair ·    The Talented Youth- $10,000.00 General support for Youth Filmmaking Excellence project PRESERVE THE CULTURE & HISTORY OF FILM ·    The Film Foundation, Inc- $350,000.00     Preservation of two films ·    Los Angeles Conservancy- $35,000.00 General support for Last Remaining Seats ·    Museum of Modern Art    – $20,000.00 General support for film archive ·    Outfest- $30,000.00 General support for expansion of Legacy Project ·    University of California, Berkeley, Pacific Film Archive- $15,000.00 Support for guest filmmaker travel PROMOTE CULTURAL EXCHANGE THROUGH FILM ·    American Cinematheque- $45,000.00 Screenings of Golden Globe foreign language nominees ·    FilmAid International- $50,000.00 Screenings & filmmaker training in Kenyan refugee camps ·    Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles- $10,000.00 Commemoration of Festival’s 10th Anniversary ·    Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles- $10,000.00 Screenings at various festivals ·    Levantine Cultural Center- $17,500.00 General support of monthly Middle Eastern film series SPECIAL PROJECTS ·    Ensemble Studio Theatre- $15,000.00 General support for new play development ·    Lollipop Theater Network- $15,000.00 Bedside film screenings for children in So Cal hospitals ·    Los Angeles County Museum of Art- $75,000.00 General support for Film Program ·    Young Musicians Foundation- $10,000.00 General support for Guest Conductor Series ·    Pablove Foundation- $5,000.00 General support for photo project for sick children GRAND TOTAL:    $1,579,500