Stars came out in force last week to support amfAR's 25th annual amfAR Gala Cannes at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, during the Cannes International Film Festival.
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The event’s legendary live auction surpassed last year’s total with items like the Carine Roitfeld curated fashion show collection fetching as much $1.7 million; a Pierce Brosnan original painting, which sold for $1.4 million; a fully restored and upgraded 1964 S3 Bentley Convertible from Byrnes Motor Trust Restorations (BMT), introduced by Heidi Klum and Benicio Del Toro, which sold for over $800,000; and a Joe Bradley painting which brought in nearly $1 million. Sculptures by Ai Wei Wei and Bernar Venet each received bids exceeding $500,000, and a McLaren Silver 570S Spider brought in $650,000. The black-tie event was presented by Bold Films and Chopard.
The unforgettable evening featured four spectacular performances by some of the biggest names in music. Legendary Grammy-winning musicians Sting and Shaggy performed The Police classic “Every Breath You Take,” as well as “Don’t Make Me Wait,” and “Morning Is Coming,” from their new collaborative album 44/876. Singer and style icon Grace Jones entertained the crowd with a fierce performance of “La Vie En Rose” and “Pull Up to the Bumper.” Grammy-nominated British pop star Ellie Goulding opened the night with her hit singles, “Burn” and “On My Mind.” And pop and R&B sensation Jason Derulo closed the evening and had guests out of their seats with an explosive performance of “Trumpets,” Swalla," and “Talk Dirty,” among others.
The program began as Milla Jovovich and Ava Duvernay joined onstage to welcome guests to the 25th anniversary event in Cannes. Jovovich expressed how proud she was to be among the 25 female chairs, and said “we can and will achieve what two courageous women – Elizabeth Taylor and Dr. Mathilde Krim – set out to accomplish when they founded amfAR.” She then thanked the sponsors for their generosity and welcomed amfAR Interim Chairman Bill Roedy to the stage.
Roedy emphasized the importance of finding a cure for AIDS, saying, “tonight is fun, but this is serious business.” He spoke about the progress in research and treatment made over the years, but reminded everyone that nearly 40 million people were still living with AIDS and that support of this cause remained critical. Guests took his words to heart and bid generously in the evening’s live auction which included a variety of one-of-a kind luxury items and experiences, many of which were introduced by celebrities in the room. Simon de Pury and Sandra Nedvetskaia were the auctioneers.
A stunning highlight of the auction was the And Woman Created All / Et La Femme Créa Tout fashion show, curated by longtime amfAR supporter Carine Roitfeld. The dazzling collection, which generated $1.7 million, featured one-of-a-kind looks from the world’s most celebrated fashion houses. Participating designers included Alberta Ferretti, Alexandre Vauthier, Balmain, Chanel, Dior, Dsquared2, Elie Saab, Fendi, Giambattista Valli, Gianvito Rossi, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Gucci, Guo Pei, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Max Mara, Missoni, Miu Miu, Off-White, Oscar de la Renta, Philipp Plein, Prada, Ralph & Russo, Ralph Lauren, Redemption, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Versace, Yanina Couture, and more. Thirty of the world’s top models participated in the runway presentation, including Alessandra Ambrosio, Karolína Kurková, Sara Sampaio, Shanina Shaik, Elsa Hosk, Izabel Goulart, Toni Garrn and Natasha Poly, among others.
Guests in attendance included Pierce Brosnan, Kristen Stewart, Heidi Klum, Milla Jovovich, Adrien Brody, Ava DuVernay, Adriana Lima, Benicio Del Toro, Chris Tucker, Jason Derulo, Michelle Rodriguez, Lewis Hamilton, Karolina Kurkova, Alessandra Ambrosio, Alexandre Arnault, Alina Baikova, Anne Heche, Barbara Palvin, Aamito Lagum, Bambi Northwood-Blythe, Bradley Peltz, Carine Roitfeld, Caroline Scheufele, Caroline Vreeland, Chris Zylka, Alec Monopoly, Cindy Bruna, Coco König, Corey Hawkins, Erica Pelosini, Danielle Herrington, Danielle Lopez, Daphne Groeneveld, Daria Strokus, Denis Villeneuve, Dewi Driegen, Edoardo Pesce, Ellen Von Unwerth, Elsa Hosk, Eniko Mihalik, Fatou Jobe, Fiammetta Cicogna, Gabriel Macht, Georgia Fowler, Hailey Clauson, Halima Aden, Hannah Ferguson, Hye Seung Lee, Iman Shumpert, Isabeli Fontana, Izabel Goulart, Jacinda Barrett, Jessica Hart, Joe Furnier, Jordan Barrett, Julian Lennon, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, Lais Ribeiro, Lara Leito, Lara Stone, Laura Harrier, Lukas Haas, Marcello Fonte, Maria Borges, Marjan Jonkman, Martha Hunt, Maryna Linchuk, Megan Williams, Nadine Leopold, Natasha Poly, Nathalie Emmanuel, Neelam Gill, Nicole Scherzinger, Noel Berry, Paris Hilton, Petra Nemcova, Prince Wenceslas of Lichtenstein, Rose Bertram, Ruby Rose, Sara Sampaio, Sasha Pivovarova, Shaggy, Shanina Shaik, Sofia Resing, Sting, Stoffel Vandoorne, Teyana Taylor, Tom Pecheux, Toni Garrn, Tyga, Valery Kaufman, Vanessa Moody, Virgil Abloh, Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, Winnie Harlow, and Yvette Yung, among others.
Event Chairs in attendance included amfAR Global Fundraising Chairman Milutin Gatsby, Michel Litvak, Alexandre Ricard, and amfAR Interim Chairman William H. Roedy.
Bold Films and Chopard were the Presenting Sponsors of the amfAR Gala Cannes. Pernod Ricard was the event’s Signature Sponsor. Guests enjoyed wines and spirits from the Pernod Ricard portfolio throughout the entire evening, including Perriet-Jouët Belle Époque 2011 and Absolut Elyx.
Delta Air Lines is the Official Airline of amfAR.
After the amfAR Gala Cannes dinner, guests were invited to the exclusive After Party.
Since amfAR’s late Founding International Chairman Dame Elizabeth Taylor hosted the first amfAR Gala Cannes in 1993, the event has become the most coveted ticket in Cannes. Past events have been chaired by amfAR Global Campaign Chair Sharon Stone, President Bill Clinton, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Nicole Kidman, Robert De Niro, Sir Elton John, Demi Moore, and Madonna, among many others.
amfAR’s annual amfAR Gala Cannes events have been important and successful fundraising events for the Foundation for over two decades, generating more than $210 million for amfAR’s life-saving research programs and keeping the fight against AIDS in the global media spotlight. amfAR continues to fund HIV/AIDS researchers worldwide, and works to translate their research into effective policy, prevention, and treatment education programs around the globe. amfAR’s Countdown to a Cure for AIDS initiative is aimed at developing the scientific basis for a cure by the end of 2020. Launched in 2014, the Countdown is designed to intensify amfAR’s cure-focused research efforts through strategic investments of $100 million. The cornerstone of the Countdown is the amfAR Institute for HIV Cure Research, an innovative collaborative enterprise based at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
The amfAR Gala Cannes event was produced by Andy Boose/AAB Productions.
Official Hashtag of the event: #amfarcannes #BeEpic
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