Cost is always a strong consideration when the goal of the night is to raise money (and not spend it), so the budget was also spared a heavy burden with the donation of all video gear by Vidicom. While the light show kept the floor and ceiling in a constant state of flux, Dalzell and Craft TV produced clips of refugees and FilmAid’s relief efforts that played on three large screens at the front and on either side of the room.

After most of the guests had arrived and had placed bids on items ranging from film-premiere tickets to Judith Ripka jewelry, the crowd gathered in the main room for the reception. Passed plates of crab cakes, baby lamb chops, and vegetable spring rolls were offered along with more substantial buffets that highlighted Italian and Asian cuisine. The main space in front of the stage had only a handful of tables, encouraging guests to move about the room with the blue, green, and purple strobes of light that swirled around the floor, constantly changing colors.

Singer Angela McCluskey took the stage for a small set before Baron introduced the night's honorees, who included Andrea and Sean Fine, as well as Valentino Achak Deng, whose struggles as a Sudanese “lost boy" were the subject of Dave Eggers’s most recent novel, What Is the What.

Correction: This story has been updated to clarify Vidicom's contribution to the event.
   —Michael O'Connell