HFPA

Reflecting back on the astonishing years spent as a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, what strikes a nostalgic chord as the most blessed part of that journalistic journey has been the unparalleled opportunities bestowed on us to visit some of the most creative film and television production sets of the past twenty years. Imagine walking the early 1900 streets of New York in both Budapest and Wellington, built for the respective sets of The Alienist and King Kong.

When Lisa France stumbled across the romance film Meet Joe Black (1998) shooting a few blocks from where she lived in her New York neighborhood, right there the former professional basketball player and scholar made up her mind that she was going to pursue filmmaking. She was 29 years old.

At the EqualVoice Summit in Zürich, Switzerland on June 6, Golden Globes President Helen Hoehne made a special appearance to talk about equality in movies. An initiative of international media company Ringier AG, the second annual gathering of media, business and political executives aims to advocate for gender equality across various industries.

“Diversity can mean more than one thing. Diversity can be an injury, diversity can be the color of your skin, diversity can mean standing up for yourself,” actress and activist Sharon Stone said at The Hollywood Reporter’s second annual “Raising Our Voices: Setting Hollywood’s Inclusion Agenda” luncheon gala which was held in partnership with the Golden Globes, East West Bank and the Wallis Annenberg GenSpace, the event’s venue.

Former journalist and HFPA member Mike Goodridge has come a long way from the days when he was attending press conferences and voting for the Golden Globes. After returning to his UK home to edit a film magazine, he eventually joined Protagonist Pictures as CEO.

More than ten years ago, UCLA’s Entertainment and Media Research Initiative (EMRI) began producing the Hollywood Diversity Report, at first annually then biannually, covering both the film and television sectors. The report – partially funded by Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) – is unique in that it aims at providing comprehensive data analyses that relate to racial, ethnic, gender, and other forms of diversity in the entertainment industry and audiences.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) began supporting journalism and freedom of the press in 2021. Since then, more than 20 journalistic organizations and institutions have been added to the pool of more than 90 grantees.

HFPA Also Talks to Festival Directors   The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) presented the Golden Globe commemorative plaque to Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival (Cartagena International Film Festival), or FICCI as the festival is popularly known, which was received by Lina Rodriguez, the festival’s general director. The presentation by HFPA Board Member Barbara Gasser was held on the morning of March 28, the closing day of the 62nd edition of the festival at the old FICCI on Calle de Tejadillo at the Old City in Cartagena, Colombia.

The 62nd edition of the International Film Festival of Cartagena de Indias ran from March 22 to March 28, 2023. This year, 190 titles played in various sections including shorts, documentaries, and features.

Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) members Barbara Gasser, Gerardo Prat and this writer recently spoke on a panel at the Cartagena International Film Festival (Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias or FICCI), in its 62nd edition at Cartagena, Colombia. The festival, which is presented from March 22 to 28 this year, was also attended by HFPA members Barbaros Tapan and Ruben Nepales.