James Murdoch Hosts Ghetto Film School Gala With David O. Russell, Rashida Jones and More

“It was a long and treacherous drive up,” said a guest, amusingly, of the dark, narrow and winding road leading to Ghetto Film School’s annual gala, held on a Beverly Hills summit at the estate of James Murdoch, chief executive officer of 21st Century Fox and son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The event was held on the poolside patio of the Spanish-style home, which seemed to overlook all of Los Angeles. “It’s worth it. Look at this view.”
It was easy to imagine a scene straight out of “Succession” coming to life. Jesse Armstrong — the creator of the popular HBO series, which centers on the life of an aging media tycoon and his family — once wrote a screenplay for a film called “Murdoch,” after all. And everything was seemingly in place on Thursday night as hors d’oeuvres were passed around in the demure yet lush setting that brought out executives like Universal Pictures president Peter Cramer, NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer and Amazon Studios’ Ted Hope.
“I’m over here looking at this view, like ‘Why am I here?’” said film student Alyse Arteaga. Actress Rashida Jones stood just steps away. “It’s the main question in my life, ‘Why am

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…