Entertainment Hollywood Foreign Press

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Brad Pitt makes first public appearance after hospital release

Story No.: 456579

Restrictions:

Duration:00:06:11:03

Source: APTN

Dateline: Los Angeles, 20 July 2005

Date: 07/21/2005 04:00 AM

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APTN

Los Angeles, 20 July 2005

1. Wide, Beverly Hills Hotel

2. Sign: Hollywood Foreign Press Association

3. Pan of arrivals-line reporters

4. Wide, actor Emmy Rossum poses for photographers

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Emmy Rossum, actor:

"We are here to support the Hollywood Foreign Press because they are giving to many non-profit organisation that are going to be helping the next batch of aspiring filmmakers. And I am here because I want to support them because they honoured me so much earlier in the year by nominating me for best actress."

6. Fashion shot of Rossum

7. Wide actor Zhang Ziyi speaking to reporter

8. SOUNDBITE (english) Zhang Ziyi, on FilmAid International, the charity for which she is accepting:

"I am here on behalf of FilmAid International. As an actress, I believe in the power of film. They bring film to the refugee camps and they use film top promote health, conflict resolution and human rights amongst other things."

9. Fashion shot Zhang

10. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Zhang Ziyi, on what Asian audiences can expect from her new film, "Memoirs of a Geisha":

(for our Mandarin speaking clients)

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Falk, actor:

(Q: "So, what did you do to your face?"

"Well, I got bit by a dog... now, do you believe that? I will tell you another one...Yes, I am doing fine."

Q: "Tell us why are you here today?"

"Well, I don't know how the folks realise this, but every year, the Hollywood Foreign Press, they raise a lot of gold and they have grants that they give away. And this year a lot of it is going to higher education: this is all good stuff! that's one of the reasons I am here."

12. Pan of Beverly Hills Hotel ballroom

13. Actor Brad Pitt enters stage and accepts donation on behalf of The Film Foundation Inc.

SOUNDBITE (English) Brad Pitt, actor:

"Thanks, it is my great pleasure to be here today on behalf of Martin Scorsese and the Film Foundation. I am here to say thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for their generosity and their leadership and their unwavering commitment to film preservation. I think you just have said it, in the last nine years, the HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Press Association) has contributed over 1.6 million dollars, to save over sixty feature films that would be lost forever. It is my great honour to accept this contribution here, today and on behalf of the film foundation, I offer my deepest gratitude to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and to thank you for your ongoing support and personally say, thanks for the monies."

14. Pitt poses for photographers

15. Zhang accepts donation to FilmAid International

SOUNDBITE (English) Zhang Ziyi, on FilmAid International, the charity for which she is accepting:

"There are about 33 million refugees and displaced people all over the world. That means, 33 millions survivors who are full of potential, yet starved of hope. FilmAid gives them hope. FilmAid converts a seven tonne truck into a mobile cinema unit, which travels throughout the refugee camp to screen movies for free under the stars. FilmAid uses film to promote health, conflict resolution and human rights, amongst other things. I don't want anyone to walk away today felling depressed or overwhelmed by the size of the problem, we have a phenomenal solution, all it needs is help from friends, like you. So on behalf of Film Aid and the thousands of refugees who benefit from these screenings, I want to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for their wonderful gift. Thank you."

16. Zhang and actor Sally Field pose for photographers

BRAD PITT MAKES FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE LEAVING HOSPITAL

Actor Brad Pitt marked his first public appearance Wednesday (20 July 2005), following his release from a Los Angeles hospital on 13 July after being diagnosed with a mild case of viral meningitis.

Looking happy and healthy, Pitt reportedly arrived at the Beverly Hills Hotel on a motorcycle. The actor was there to accept a charitable donation from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the group that produces the annual Golden Globe Awards.

The HFPA presented Pitt with a 250,000US US dollars cheque, who accepted on behalf of director Martin Scorsese's The Film Foundation, which focuses on film restoration.

Pitt, in jeans and a white jacket, and whose hair is still dyed blond, skipped the arrivals line and did not speak with media, though he did make a brief speech upon accepting the cheque.

Among the other stars accepting the HFPA's contributions were actors Sally Field, Peter Falk, Emmy Rossum, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Bradford, America Ferrera and Ziyi Zhang.

Zhang accepted money on behalf of FilmAid International, which brings filmed entertainment and education to Sudanese and other refugees in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwestern Kenya.

Zhang also spoke with AP Television News about her new film, the long-awaited "Memoirs of a Geisha," (from director Rob Marshall) in cinemas at the end of the year.

All tolled, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association donated more than 1,000,000 US dollars in financial grants to film schools and non-profit organisation.

Over the past 11 years, the HFPA has given more than 5,500,000 US dollars in financial grants.

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