HFPA

In a personal letter to HFPA President Theo Kingma, Martin Scorsese, the founder and chairman of the Film Foundation, thanked the HFPA for supporting the restoration of classic films through generous funds. Because of your passionate commitment, writes Mr Scorsese, future generations will experience a wealth of cinematic treasures that would otherwise have been lost.

Robin WilliamsThe HFPA joins Hollywood and the rest of the world in mourning the death of Robin Williams, the beloved actor-comedian who was nominated eleven times for Golden Globes and won four, plus the Cecil B. deMille Award for his contributions to the entertainment industry.

The HFPA is to give away almost $2 million at a star-studded donations banquet on Thursday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Surprise guests will join the many celebrities in accepting the donations on behalf of various charities.

Kingma (left) and BoehlyThe recent settlement of the legal dispute between the HFPA and dick clark productions, which produces the Golden Globes show, was celebrated at a reception thrown by Guggenheim, the new owners of dcp, at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. Todd Boehly, president of Guggenheim Partners, which also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers, Hollywood Reporter and Billboard magazine among other assets, presented HFPA president Theo Kingma with Dodger star Yasiel Puig 's autographed team shirt, saying: "We are excited to be your partner.

JAMES GARNERJames Garner, who shot to fame in the 1950s as the charming and dry-witted gambler on the hit TV western Maverick and earned 12 Golden Globe nominations, winning three times, died at his home aged 86. The Oklahoma-born Garner, who also starred in the long-running TV series The Rockford Files, amassed more than 80 movie and TV-movie credits during his 50-year career.

A favourite with Golden Globe voters in the late 1950s and 1960s, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. has died at his home in Solvang.

Golden Globe winner Bob Hoskins has died of pneumonia at the age of 71. The British actor, who won his Best Actor Globe in 1987, for his performance in Mona Lisa, had been nominated twice more, for Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Mrs.

The HFPA has donated $5,000 to producer Ryan Kavanaugh's charity, The Art of Elysium, an organization that encourages actors, artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions. HFPA President Theo Kingma said: "We are committed to encouraging and supporting worthy charities and The Art of Elysium does wonderful work in helping seriously ill children.

Congratulations to HFPA member Juliette Michaud, whose magnificent coffee table book, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, has just been published in the U. S.

The 16th Film Noir Festival opened in Hollywood with a screening of the 1949 film Too Late for Tears, which was restored with the help of financial support from the HFPA. Eddie Muller, the FNF President, acknowledged the contribution of the HFPA in a brief talk before the screening at the historic Egyptian Theater.