Stars convene for amfAR gala to raise millions for AIDS research
ANTIBES, France (AP) — Artwork by Adrien Brody and James Franco and a chance to sit courtside at a Knicks game with director Spike Lee were among the starry offerings at the annual amfAR Gala to raise money for AIDS research.
Held at the famous Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes on Thursday, the evening attracted scores of celebrities in the area for the Cannes Film Festival. Guests included Brody, Lee, Colman Domingo, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, and Heidi Klum.
This year's top items for sale included a Dodge Charger that featured in 'Fast X,' sold off by Rodriguez, raising 475,000 euros ($536,843). There were also some Chopard pear shaped yellow diamond earrings that reached 400,000 ($452,005) euros in the bidding.
During the meal guests were also entertained with musical performances from Ciara, who opened the night, Adam Lambert and headlining the dinner with Duran Duran. Guest shimmied from their tables to the front of the room to stand in front of the stage and sing along to hits like 'Notorious' and 'View to a Kill' (which wouldn't be the only James Bond reference of the night).
The sale included artwork from Brody — sold for 375,000 euros ($423,755) with lunch with the star thrown in — and Franco — (sold for 325,000 euros ($367,254) also with a lunch offered with the winning bid. Another highlight was a May 2025 George Condo painting that raised 1.15 million euros ($1.26 million).
Lee came to the stage and offered a surprise lot, a walk-on part in his next movie. Part of the way through the bidding he added tickets to sit next to him courtside at a New York Nicks game next season, driving the price up to 400,000 euros ($452,005).
The fashion show is a regular feature of the auction curated by Carine Roitfeld, this year was Bond-inspired and saw 27 models turn the middle of the dinning room into a catwalk as they paraded through the room waving at guests they recognized and posing for photos on route. The collection made 450,000 euros ($508,505) for the charity, auctioned off as one complete lot.
The Foundation for AIDS Research, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and advocacy. Since 1985, amfAR has raised nearly $950 million (841 million euros) in support of its programs and has awarded more than 3,800 grants to research teams worldwide.
___
Louise Dixon has covered the amfAR gala for more than a decade. Among most memorable items she's seen sold at auction are a game of soccer with David Beckham and his friends, a private dinner performance from Andrea Bocelli at his family home and lunch with Robert De Niro that combined have raised more than 2 million euros.
___
For more coverage of this year's Cannes Film Festival, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/cannes-film-festival
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
15 minutes ago
- Business Insider
The best red-carpet looks of 2025 so far
Aside from a few misses, celebrity fashion has been strong in 2025. Stars like Lauren Sánchez and Blake Lively have embraced glamour for dramatic red-carpet moments. Billionaire athletes, including LeBron James, have also stood out in designer fashion. Now that we're halfway through 2025, it's time to reflect on what celebrity fashion has looked like this year. Aside from a few outfits that missed the mark, most celebrities have stunned at movie premieres, awards shows, and other red-carpet events. Lauren Sánchez, LeBron James, and Miley Cyrus are just a few of those who have done the latter. Here's a look at their best ensembles and other standouts worn by celebrities this year. Halle Berry was effortlessly chic at the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival. She walked the red carpet in a cream-colored lace gown from Dior. It had a mock neckline, puffed short sleeves, and a thin black belt tied into a bow around her waist. The dress was glamorous on its own, but Berry accessorized to perfection with Chopard diamonds. Also in France, Lauren Sánchez stunned in black at the Global Gift Gala. Dolce & Gabbana designed her strapless gown. It was covered in sparkles across its structured bodice and wrapped with a ruched fabric around the hips to enhance its floor-length skirt. Sánchez also wore an updo hairstyle and a diamond necklace from Messika to complement the statement dress. Elaine Zhong wore one of the best ball gowns of the year at the "Dossier 137" premiere. The Elie Saab gown made her one of the best-dressed stars at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. It was strapless, with floral appliqués extending across its bodice and the top of its full skirt. Zhong wore the white gown with a thick diamond necklace, a matching bracelet, stud earrings, and a few sparkling rings. LeBron and Savannah James subtly coordinated their looks for the 2025 Hammer Museum Gala, and it paid off. The billionaire basketball star arrived at the event in black trousers, $1,690 Louis Vuitton sneakers, and the designer brand's $3,800 Damier jacket in tan, which is now sold out. Savannah James, on the other hand, wore a dramatic pleated dress from Issey Miyake and $1,795 Giuseppe Zanotti heels with gold snake detailing. Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet matched in black ensembles at the 2025 David di Donatello Awards. Jenner posed in a sleeveless Schiaparelli design that featured form-fitting textured fabric, a deeply scooped neckline, and a floor-length skirt. Chalamet opted for a velvet Tom Ford suit in the same dark shade with a white rose pinned to his jacket. Not only were the stars' outfits sharp on their own, but they also strongly suited each other. Blake Lively had her best fashion moment of the year at the Time100 Gala. She wore a red Zuhair Murad gown and an assortment of jade jewelry. The former had a corseted top with ruched off-the-shoulder sleeves, a form-fitted skirt, and extra fabric attached at the hips. It was one of the best looks on the Time100 red carpet and one of the strongest outfits Lively has worn throughout her career. Sergey Brin dazzled with crystals at the Breakthrough Prize ceremony. As the billionaire cofounder of Google, you might not expect Brin to be overly fashionable. However, he proved those assumptions wrong with straight-legged trousers, a satin button-down top, and a suit jacket encrusted with pearls, crystals, and beads in leaf patterns. Miley Cyrus showed just how stylish she is at the 2025 Oscars. She wore a custom Alexander McQueen gown made from a mix of sparkling fabric and semi-sheer mesh. It also had a halter neckline, a long skirt with a short train, and a row of velvet below her hips. Her accessories and makeup were arguably even better than the standout dress. She wore lace gloves, a silver watch, diamond earrings, a wavy hairstyle, and bleached eyebrows. The look was unique and true to Cyrus' style. Selena Gomez brought the glamour to the EE BAFTA Film Awards. She arrived on the red carpet in a custom Schiaparelli gown that was impossible to miss. Its top layer was sleeveless, sparkling, and decorated from top to bottom with thick crystals. The latter piece also had a scooped neckline so deep that it sat below her chest and revealed a black velvet top with off-the-shoulder sleeves. At the Grammy Awards, Taylor Swift made a fun nod to her 11th studio album and her boyfriend. She wore a ruby-colored minidress designed by Vivienne Westwood. It had a corset top with a single shoulder strap, fabric that wrapped around her hips to create a miniskirt, and all-over sparkles. Most fun, though, was her leg chain, which Swift co-designed with Lorraine Schwartz, People reported. It had multiple rubies in a line that led to a charm of the letter T, seemingly referencing both her boyfriend Travis Kelce and a line Swift sings in her song "Guilty as Sin?" off her 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department." No one has pulled off theme dressing quite like Jennifer Lopez this year. Lopez promoted her film "Kiss of the Spider Woman" at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where she wore a dress with spider-inspired details from Valdrin Sahiti. The long-sleeved design was made from lace and embellished with crystals in the shape of a web. It also had long sleeves, a mock neckline, and a slit in the back of its long skirt. Shaboozey looked cool and comfortable on the Louis Vuitton carpet at Paris Fashion Week. He wore a full ensemble from the designer brand that included light-wash blue jeans, a brown tweed coat, and a printed silk scarf over a white T-shirt. Zendaya looked like a princess in January at the 2025 Golden Globes. She was one of the best-dressed stars of the event thanks to her Louis Vuitton gown. The strapless design fit Zendaya like a glove, though extra fabric was attached at the back to create the illusion of a full skirt.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
"She's Got No Name" unveils first official poster
6 Jun - Two years after the first announcement, Peter Chan's "She's Got No Name" finally unveiled the first official poster for the first part of the movie. The poster reveals the looks of all the cast for the first time, sparking interests of fans who mostly commented that all of the actors seemed unrecognisable and are truly immersed in their characters. This includes lead actress Zhang Ziyi, whose character has scars covering her face; Yang Mi looking dishevelled in her character as a female prisoner, Jackson Yee in shades and equipped with a cane as a blind fortune teller, as well as Zanilia Zhao, looking glamorous as a writer. Fans also couldn't help but notice that both Zanilia and Yang Mi are placed on each side of the poster. The decision seemed to be a way to avoid the fandom of both actresses from arguing on who is the bigger star. Since the film debuted in the non-competitive section of the Cannes Film Festival last year, there has been no further news until it was recently announced as the opening film of the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival. What is noteworthy is that the film has recently been announced to be divided into two parts, the first of which has the Chinese title of "Jiangyuan Lane: Mystery". (Photo Source: Zhang Ziyi Weibo, SINA)
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Why Kylian Mbappe has invested in France's SailGP team: ‘I'm a very curious person'
Kylian Mbappe admits he knows next to nothing about sailing. At a breakfast on the top floor of a boutique Parisian hotel, just a stone's throw from Roland Garros where week one of the French Open is in full swing, the Real Madrid forward is talking about how he sees the sport as part of his legacy, how it can inspire the young people in his foundation. Advertisement The 26-year-old France captain, a World Cup winner at just 19 and one of the world's most feted soccer players, also helps clear up the predominant question of the day: why has he invested in the French SailGP team? 'Well, the first thing is that as a French person,' he tells The Athletic, 'I've always wanted to support my compatriots. I've always wanted to support French sport, so that was already a first factor. 'The second is because SailGP does a lot of things socially for children. And to have been able to involve my foundation (Inspired by Kylian Mbappe, IBKM) with SailGP is really something that fills me with joy because we share a lot of values and we have a lot of projects planned together for the future.' SailGP is a high-speed, close-to-shore international championship consisting of 12 national teams racing in identical carbon-fiber catamarans head-to-head over a 12-month season, which runs from November to November. 'I'm just starting out, I'm a beginner,' he says of his SailGP knowledge. 'I'm really trying grasp the basics for now to really understand what it's about. But learning new things, that's something I've always been passionate about, so I'm a good student.' Mbappe, who bought a stake in France's team in March, is one of many global stars associating themselves with a championship now in its fifth season. Four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel was a founding investor in the German team. Last month, actor Anne Hathaway was named among the female-led ownership group of the Italian team, while on Thursday, it was announced Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds were the new co-owners of the Australian team. The U.S. team has a plethora of stars behind them, too, with former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry last year leading a group of investors who acquired the team for $35million (£27.2m). Advertisement A factor not to be overlooked is the skyrocketing value of the national teams' franchises. This is a fledgling global circuit still just six years young, so when Sir Ben Ainslie bought the franchise for the British team in 2022, it's believed he paid less than $5m. Just three years later, SailGP founder and CEO Russell Coutts says he wouldn't sell a franchise for less than $50m. 'By the end of this season, we'll be seeing $100m valuations for teams,' he told The Athletic earlier this year. SailGP is running hot right now and despite no prior interest in sailing, it's not hard to see how Mbappe was convinced to invest in the French team headed by former Olympic sailor Quentin Delapierre. But Mbappe wants the association with Delapierre's team to run a lot deeper than pure financial play because he says he sees SailGP as an ideal vehicle for inspiring some of the 98 teenagers and young adults on his program. Gathered at the breakfast on Mbappe's return to his home city are eight IBKM members, aged 16 to 20. They are there to meet Delapierre for the first time, as he starts preparing them for a trip to New York, where they'll experience a SailGP grand prix at first hand, right in the core of the Big Apple. Mbappe sounded envious not to be joining them this weekend for the grand prix, which will be held on Upper New York Bay on Saturday and Sunday. 'I want them to have the freedom to create their own experience, their own memories, because they are the ones who will live it,' he says. 'They'll also learn the meaning of sacrifice, the meaning of hard work, because they'll see how much work it takes to get a result, seeing the preparation for a major competition. Of course, I don't know what they plan to do with their lives in the future, but they will see the mental preparation (of the sailors), seeing how much self-control and management of emotions (is involved).' Mbappe set up IBKM in 2020 to help young children forge a strong direction in life. Working closely with his mother, Fayza, who is also sitting in on The Athletic's interview, the forward, only the second man to score a hat-trick at a World Cup final, wants his legacy to be more than what he has achieved on the football pitch. Advertisement 'I wanted to reach out to young people around the world, just as someone once reached out to me, and give them the strength to believe in their dreams and write their own stories,' he says of the foundation. 'We want to inspire and support these young people through sport, education and culture.' While Mbappe won't be able to join his eight apprentices for the New York leg of the championship, he's planning to attend a grand prix at some point this season or next. 'Depending on my schedule, I will certainly try to see if it will be possible to be there, because it's another thing to see it for real rather than watching it on TV. Like any other sport, you want to feel the energy, the passion and the whole sense of sacrifice that's required when you're trying to achieve a result,' he says. When it's suggested that he could explore a second sporting career in sailing after he retires from football aged 40, he does a theatrical double-take. 'Forty? You think forty?' Mbappe laughs. 'But I'm a very curious person, and I'm trying to develop myself more and more to gain as much knowledge as possible. So it's really going to be a great learning experience for me because sailing is not an area I know very well. 'I never wanted to close any doors for my post-career. I never wanted to say no to anything, so we'll see, but I have a lot of work to do before considering what comes after my (footballing) career.' While at first glance there's not much obvious crossover between football and SailGP, Mbappe sees a lot of commonalities. 'The challenges in football and SailGP are different, but I think in the end, success is success, regardless of the discipline. It's the same thing because it provokes the same emotions, it requires the same workload, the same obsession with detail. The same idea of dedicating everything to trying to win.' Winning is something the French team hasn't manage to achieve yet this season. But even the straight-talking Coutts has talked of the France team as winners-in-waiting. Advertisement But Mbappe has given Delapierre a boost. The France driver having to pinch himself that he now finds himself trading thoughts and ideas with this French soccer icon. 'Honestly, Kylian has inspired me a lot, not only as an athlete but also as a human being,' he tells The Athletic. 'Even when he was really young and playing at Monaco, he spoke very clearly about where he wanted to go and what he wanted to achieve. It's really nice to have this conversation around high-level sports, but also what he wants to share with his youngsters. 'I hope at some point that I will be able to share my passion with Kylian on the F50 and see if he enjoys sailing. It will be super nice to have him on board with us.'
