HFPA Philanthropy

Echo Park Film Center is a non-profit media arts organization committed to providing equal and affordable community access to film/video resources. We feel it is imperative that more members of marginalized communities become active participants in the creation and dissemination of experimental and documentary films in order to truly share the many powerful voices and visions that make up the fabric of contemporary life.

Las Fotos Project is a non-profit organization with a mission to elevate the voices of teenage girls from communities of color through photography and mentoring, empowering them to channel their creativity for the benefit of themselves, their community, and future careers. Hear from past students and mentors about the impact photography has on the Los Angeles community.

When HFPA reached out to KITS about creating an introduction video for the organization, we realized it was an opportunity for our youth to produce a video for a client while utilizing the filmmaking skills they learned from our programs. After conceptualizing what the promo video would look like, five (5) of our youth filmmakers wrote the promo video script.

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As an association of journalists which includes many freelance reporters and entertainment journalists, HFPA members are well cognizant of the seismic changes the profession has undergone in recent years. As traditional business models and revenue streams have been called into question by the mergence of the internet and digital media, newsrooms have been decimated in the US and the world over.

The Story of a Three-Day Pass, the first film by seminal African American director Melvin Van Peebles is returning to theaters after a new 4K restoration by Indiecollect. The restored film which made its world debut in 2020 at the HFPA’s Restoration Summit, tells the story of a Black US serviceman stationed in Paris who falls in love with a French woman.

Kids in the Spotlight (KITS) provides screenwriting and film production courses to young adults in Los Angeles’ foster care system. The founder, Tige Charity, stands behind this courageous effort to give underprivileged youths a creative outlet, which sometimes turns out to be life-changing.

The Urban Peace Institute recently awarded completion certificates to this year’s class of graduates from its community leadership programs. In a remote event billed as the Leadership Institute Celebration, certificates were awarded to those who completed Institute workshops in the “emerging”, advanced” and “congress” levels.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced grants for over $5. 1 million to more than 70 organizations (full list below).

Doing the Work is a series profiling key recipients of HFPA Philanthropy Francisco Velasquez, the leader of Film Independent’s short film production program, has been a lover of film since childhood. A Mexican-born bicultural man, he grew up in Los Angeles with his family, watching “bad Mexican movies from the ‘70s and ‘80s” at the local drive-in while enjoying pan dulce and coffee, and big Hollywood productions every weekend at theaters downtown.