New York magazine’s Intelligencer this week listed Spike Lee, Spike Jonze and Jim Jarmusch as expected attendees to the Ghetto Film School’s annual spring gala event, which took place Monday night at Bottino restaurant on Tenth Avenue, with DJ Tommy Sunshine on the turntables setting the groovy mood. I can tell you that neither of the two Spikes nor Jim Jarmusch were in attendance, but Delroy Lindo and Damon Dash were there, and the Beastie Boys, as well as a bunch of other lovely film, media industry and investor types, fanning themselves and drinking white wine. Oh, and also my dear old friend Yvette Vega, executive producer for the Charlie Rose show (I was a producer there some time ago), who sits on the board of the GFS (along with filmmaker David O. Russell and IFC’s Evan Shapiro), which teaches New York City kids various aspects of filmmaking and then helps them find employment in the industry. Yvette is just an electrically genuine person and I was so thrilled to see her.

I had some excellent conversations and met some great people, including GFS founder Joe Hall, a regular guy from Queens who had a great idea, went with it, made it happen and is now changing the lives of tons of young people every year.