HPA Awards Recognize Diversity

The Hollywood Professional Association announced on May 12 the recipients of its first HPA League Honors, which recognize diverse members of the entertainment and media industry for their accomplishments, innovation and leadership. The five honorees will be recognized in a virtual ceremony taking place May 27 by the Burbank group that serves businesses and individuals who provide expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials and digital media.Those honored are:• Annie Chang, vice president of creative technologies for Universal Pictures with the Catalyst award, recognizing a leader who successfully inspired positive change and innovation in the entertainment industry while remaining a stabilizing force and a mover and shaker. In her role with the Universal City film company, Chang has developed strategies and designed innovative workflows across film and emerging immersive media experiences.

• Tammy Garnes, vice president of education and understanding at Array with the Excelsior award that recognizes a person in the industry who shows impressive business acumen and outstanding leadership while achieving remarkable business growth. At Array, a Los Angeles film distribution and resource collective founded by filmmaker Ava DuVernay, Garnes oversees education and social impact projects, as well as Array Crew, a database of minority and women and other underrepresented film and television below-the-line workers. She is a former producer whose credits include “Roots – Celebrating 25 Years,” “Dancing in September” and “Biker Boyz.”• Patricia Keighley, chief quality guru at Imax Corp. with the Rainmaker award that recognizes excellence in financial performance and business growth. At Imax, Keighley led the development of the large film format’s digital post-production workflow by adapting the long-established Imax film post-production procedures to meet digital requirements while continuing to maintain the brand’s high quality standards. She currently serves as executive vice president of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

• Charles King, founder and chief executive of Macro, a film distribution and production company in Los Angeles with the Star award that recognizes an individual who adapted to the new normal and excelled in creativity to keep the end consumers entertained with engaging content and fresh approach. At Macro, King oversees the company’s focus on creating, developing, producing and financing film, television, digital content, tech companies and brands driven by people of color.• Iris Wu, founder of Ambidio, an immersive audio startup in Glendale, with the Alchemist honor that recognizes a leader who spearheaded a noteworthy technology innovation that has brought benefit to the industry either in post, workflow or presentation. As a founder of Ambidio in 2014, Wu made the company part of the 2017 class in the Disney Accelerator program. The company won an honorable mention of the Engineering Excellence Award from the HPA in 2019.

Seth Hallen, president of the association said in a statement: “These inaugural HPA League honorees are an extraordinary group of changemakers who have laid a foundation for future progress. We are honored to share their accomplishments.”