Hollywood Foreign Press gives away $1.5 million

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is giving away money. The group behind the Golden Globe Awards presented $1.5 million in grants to nonprofit film organizations at a star-studded luncheon Wednesday at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Eva Longoria Parker helped HFPA president Philip Berk hand out checks to film schools and groups that support film promotion and preservation. The actress acknowledged she was slightly star-struck as she read from a script to present the various checks. “This is hard for me, this teleprompter, because Nicole Kidman is sitting right behind it,” Parker said as she struggled with the transparent panels that flanked the podium.

She decided to read from the screen away from Kidman’s table.Kidman was among the stars who accepted the grants on stage, along with Bryan Cranston, Jane Lynch, Ryan Phillippe, John Slattery, Matthew Fox, Aaron Sorkin, Carla Gugino, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco and Annette Bening. Recipients included Outfest, FilmAid International, the Museum of Modern Art, American Cinematheque, the American Film Institute, Inner-City Arts and 11 universities. Berk says HFPA has given more than $12 million in grants to date. The 68th annual Golden Globe Awards will be presented January 16. AP