Actors Jack Huston and John Boyega accepted a grant on behalf of Exceptional Minds during the Hollywood Foreign Press Association‘s (HFPA) annual grants banquet at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., last week.
The HFPA, which hands out the Golden Globe awards, presented more than $2 million in donations to non-profit entertainment-related organizations such as Exceptional Minds, a school for young adults with autism pursuing careers in visual effects and related fields.
“It is personally gratifying to be part of an industry that shows such acceptance and support for these unique individuals, many of whom are being recognized for their talents for the first time in their lives,” said Yudi Bennett, co-founder and director of operations for Exceptional Minds, located in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
The $15,000 HFPA grant will fund new computer technology for Exceptional Minds’ working studio that is providing jobs and experience for the school’s graduates. Exceptional Minds Studio has a close working relationship with the visual effects industry and is known for its visual effects and title work on movies such as Ant-Man, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and American Hustle.