GHETTO FILM SCHOOL, 21ST CENTURY FOX AND HEART OF LOS ANGELES (HOLA) TO LAUNCH NEW INITIATIVE IN LOS ANGELES BASED ON GFS’ AWARD-WINNING EDUCATIONAL MODEL GFS LA Welcomes First Students in June in L.A.’s MacArthur Park Neighborhood Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY – Ghetto Film School (GFS), the independent film organization dedicated to the development and celebration of the next generation of great American storytellers, and 21st Century Fox, the world’s premier portfolio of film and television properties, today announced plans to launch an expansion of the GFS operation to Los Angeles. GFS LA, which will open its doors in June, will be based on the rigorous creative education model utilized at the South Bronx non-profit since 2000. 21st Century Fox, a longtime partner of GFS, will provide both financial and in-kind support for GFS LA, including integration with the school’s curriculum through the sharing of content and the involvement of senior executives as mentors and guest lecturers. “Expanding to Los Angeles makes perfect sense given the city is a real driver of art and culture and we’re confident that this kind of high-quality opportunity will open many doors for the city’s diverse, young storytellers,” said GFS founder Joe Hall. “21st Century Fox recognized not only the need to expand the curriculum to the west coast but also the incredible opportunity it presents for the city’s youth. I’m so grateful for their support.” "For more than a decade, GFS has proven that creativity and storytelling are as essential to the social and educational development of young people as any traditional curriculum," said James Murdoch, Co-COO of 21st Century Fox. "When Joe Hall told me that he wanted to open GFS LA, it was a no-brainer -- we are very happy to be able to help make it a reality. Supporting storytellers is what we do, and aspire to do, every day in our company -- so to be able to support new storytellers at the Ghetto Film School just feels right." "The Ghetto Film School has been an amazing resource in New York for over 13 years, not only as an educational gem for low-income neighborhoods, but also as a crucible for new filmmaking talents that can be remarkable," says Academy Award-nominated writer/director David O. Russell, a longtime GFS board member and champion for the organization. "It's about helping young people tell their stories on their terms. It's very exciting to bring this to LA, where my friends and many others working in cinema can be even more involved with GFS." "Los Angeles proudly welcomes the Ghetto Film School and their next generation of storytellers to the entertainment capital of the world," said Mayor Eric Garcetti. "Career pathway programs such as the Ghetto Film School guide students towards high-skilled occupations and I am so proud that they are located in the MacArthur Park neighborhood where many students wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity or technical know-how to gain these skills and employment
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opportunities.” GFS LA programming will be free of charge, and during the first phase implementation 75 diverse, teenage storytellers from the local area will complete a 30-month college-level, preprofessional immersion in cinematic storytelling and production training based on the Fellows Program model developed over the last 14 years in NYC. GFS LA will be located in Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park neighborhood and will utilize facilities made available through a unique partnership with Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), an acclaimed non-profit organization that empowers thousands of local youth to develop their potential, pursue their education and strengthen their communities through exceptional programs in academics, arts and athletics. "We're excited to welcome GFS LA to HOLA's community campus. The program is bringing new opportunities to the kids in our neighborhood, opportunities that will give them a pathway from training and education to a career. Together we are giving kids a chance to be successful in life," said Tony Brown, HOLA's Executive Director. About Ghetto Film School The Ghetto Film School is an award-winning, independent film organization with a mission to educate, develop and celebrate the next generation of great American storytellers. With operations in the South Bronx (NYC) and MacArthur Park (Los Angeles), the non-profit annually supports 650 diverse teen and young adult artists through high quality, pre-professional programs focused on the intersection of art, business and education. GFS initiated and led a partnership with the NYC Department of Education to open The Cinema School in 2009 as the nation’s first film high school, which has a 100% college acceptance rate. Digital Bodega is an alumni-run, full-service production company providing creative solutions for brands such as Nike, General Mills, Atlantic Records, and Sony Pictures while generating income for free-ofcharge GFS programming. Student work has been produced and screened around the world, and 400,000+ global registered users access GFS curriculum and training via an online MasterClass series. For more information on Ghetto Film School, please visit www.ghettofilm.org. About 21st Century Fox 21st Century Fox is the world's premier portfolio of cable, broadcast, film, pay TV and satellite assets spanning six continents across the globe. Reaching nearly 1.5 billion subscribers in more than 100 local languages every day, 21st Century Fox is home to a global portfolio of cable and broadcasting networks and properties, including FOX, FX, FXX, FXM, FS1, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, Fox Sports, Fox Sports Network, National Geographic Channels, MundoFox, STAR, 28 local television stations in the U.S. and more than 300 channels that comprise Fox International Channels; film studio Twentieth Century Fox Film; and television production studios Twentieth Century Fox Television and Shine Group. The Company also provides premium content to millions of subscribers through its pay-television services in
Europe and Asia, including Sky Deutschland, Sky Italia and its equity interests in BSkyB and Tata Sky. For more information about 21st Century Fox, please visit www.21CF.com. About Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) In neighborhoods often overrun by poverty, crime and a feeling of hopelessness, Heart of Los Angeles invests in youth to build stronger communities. Heart of Los Angeles gives some of the city’s most vulnerable youth a chance to succeed in life. HOLA provides underserved youth with exceptional programs in academics, arts and athletics within a nurturing environment, empowering them to develop their potential, pursue their education and strengthen their communities. From what started 25 years ago with just a handful of kids in a dilapidated gym, HOLA now serves over 2,400 youth ages 6-24, on a four-building campus in the Rampart District. HOLA provides opportunities and lays pathways to success for youth who are eager for the chance. www.heartofla.org. CONTACT: Dan Berger, 21st Century Fox, (310) 369-1274, dberger@21cf.com