The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has awarded $65,000 in grants to aid cinema, television and journalism students at Los Angeles City College.
The money provided to the Los Angeles City College Foundation will be used to fund student fellowships and production mini-grants to help pay for students’ projects.
Since 2011, more than 280 association fellowships have been provided to L.A. City College students from underrepresented groups, including women, ethnic minorities and international students, the school said.
“We are extremely grateful to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for their continued support of our students,” Amanuel Gebru, the college’s president, said in a statement.
The association fellowships help cover tuition, books, living expenses, production supplies and other needs. Fellowships are intended to support diverse students who demonstrate financial need, those that might be at risk of leaving the program due to economic barriers, or international students who bring a different point of view and voice to their work, according to the school.
The production grants support City College cinema and television students working on short films and documentaries for their portfolios, projects used to gain admittance to four-year colleges and universities. Students can apply for funds to help cover production costs such as equipment and wardrobe, location permits and transportation.
Jen Vaughn, cinema/TV department chair and associate professor of cinema at the college, said the school was honored to receive the grant funding.
“This funding helps empower our students with resources to share their voices through their films,” Vaughn said in a statement.
Each year, nearly 20% of cinema/TV students transfer to four-year schools, including as California State University, Northridge, California State University, Los Angeles, the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern California. Many students receive their vocational certificates and transition directly into lifelong careers in the entertainment industry, adding new diverse voices to the field, according to the school.
In addition to fellowships for City College journalism students, they can also apply for a production mini-grant to help improve the quality of their journalism work.
Rhonda Guess, professor of journalism, said the association’s grant funding will help students access critical tools for storytelling.
“Students need next-level vocational tools like mirrorless cameras, drones, wireless microphones and experience with other cutting-edge equipment to demonstrate to employers that they are prepared,” Guess said.
Journalism students have gone on to UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley, various CSUs and the University of New Mexico, among other schools. The City College newspaper, The Collegian Times, and magazine, The Collegian, have received awards for excellence and top prizes in video/broadcast reporting.
The Los Angeles City College Foundation has received support from the press association since 2011, including a gift for an endowment.
Lisa Nashua, executive director of the foundation, said in a statement: “We are grateful to continue our partnership with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which helps boost graduation rates and prepares a highly qualified, diverse workforce in both (the entertainment and media) industries.”
Founded in 1943, the foreign press association is best known for hosting the Golden Globe Awards – a ceremony honoring achievements in television and film.
Over the last 28 years, the association has donated more than $55 million to entertainment-related nonprofit organizations, academic programs and humanitarian organizations, provided more than 2,224 scholarships to college students and funded the restoration of over 138 classic films.
