APU Receives Grant from Hollywood Foreign Press

APU Film Program Receives Grant from Hollywood Foreign Press

For the second consecutive year, Azusa Pacific University’s Department of Theater, Film, and Television received a $7,500 grant from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Other beneficiaries include University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA), Columbia University, Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University, and New York University.

“Azusa Pacific University is grateful to the Hollywood Foreign Press for its commitment to assisting the next generation of filmmakers in learning their craft,” said Michael Smith, associate professor in the Department of Theater, Film, and Television. “This prestigious grant increases the credibility of our program by enabling our students to create films that compete on a national and international level with other top-rated university film schools.”

To date, HFPA has helped fund eight senior capstone film projects involving 31 APU students, including the award-winning production The Good River. Named Best Student Film at the 2011 Offshoot Film Festival in Fayetteville, Ark., and earning third place at the 2011 Elgin Film Festival in Elgin, Ill., The Good River screened at the James River Shorts Film Festival in Richmond, Va., and shows at the Stepping Stone Film Festival in Bengaluru, India, now through Dec.13.

“My experience producing our senior thesis project, The Good River, allowed me to put my passion for filmmaking to the test and explore what this profession really entails,” said Lauren Guerard, class of 2011. “Receiving the grant from HFPA ensured our filmmaking journey was a success.”

APU’s Cinematic Arts major is a comprehensive program that teaches the art and business of screenwriting and critical studies from a story-centered point of view. Students immerse themselves in hands-on filmmaking with state-of-the-art equipment. Beyond simply learning how to use the tools of the trade, students are also challenged to thoughtfully consider how art and culture impact one another and what role the Christian artist plays in the process. Students graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Screenwriting, a Bachelor of Arts in Critical Studies, or a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Production.

Founded during World War II, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was originally comprised of a handful of LA-based overseas journalists who sought to bridge the international community with Hollywood. Sixty-six 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 has enabled the organization to donate more than $12 million to entertainment related charities and scholarship programs.