| EVENT REPORT 09.16.09 2:35 PM |
PRINT | SEND TO A FRIEND |
|
| Cause Celeb |
| Amfar partnered with Dignitas International to host the inaugural Cinema Against AIDS Toronto fund-raiser at the Carlu, which had an Old-Hollywood look and drew guests like Sarah Ferguson and Miranda Richardson. |
|
Amfar, the Foundation for AIDS Research, partnered with Dignitas International to host the first Cinema Against AIDS Toronto fund-raiser at the Carlu Tuesday. The event, which featured performances by Sarah McLachlan and Deborah Cox, attracted 400 guests, including Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York; Miranda Richardson; Amfar ambassador Michelle Yeoh; and Nobel Peace Prize winner and Dignitas co-founder Dr. James Orbinski.
“Cinema Against AIDS, this particular branded event that we do in conjunction with film festivals, was actually started in 1993 at the Cannes Film Festival by Dame Elizabeth Taylor, our founding chairman. That event did so well and Amfar’s relationship with the film industry has been so strong that it has just grown and grown,” said Franklin G. Fry, Amfar’s director of special events. |
|
CONTINUED > |
|
|
PHOTO GALLERY |
 | A red carpet and vintage searchlights added to the Old-Hollywood feel in the elevator lobby on the ground floor of the Carlu.
Photo: BizBash |
|
|
 | A tall arrangement of yellow orchids, from San Remo Florist, topped a table at the entrance to the grand foyer.
Photo: BizBash |
|
|
 | McNabb Roick Events filled the 10,000-square-foot grand foyer with brown wing-back chairs, grey sofas, and lots of candles.
Photo: BizBash |
|
|
 | Uplit centerpieces held yellow Oncidium orchids.
Photo: BizBash |
|
|
 | Gold linens topped tables surrounded by black honeycomb chairs from Signature Event Rentals.
Photo: BizBash |
|
|
 | Four hundred guests in the Carlu's concert hall dined on a meal prepared by Jamie Kennedy.
Photo: BizBash |
|
|
 | Four 12-foot chandeliers hung from the ceiling in the concert hall.
Photo: BizBash |
|
|
 | Cocktail tables and honeycomb chairs filled the Round Room, the venue for the Grey Goose-sponsored after-party.
Photo: BizBash |
|
|
|
|
|
The events have been held at festivals in Venice, Rome, and Dubai, and at Sundance. “We’ve been looking at Toronto for a couple of years,” Fry said, noting that Tuesday’s event marked the first time Amfar has partnered with another organization on a Cinema Against AIDS initiative.
"Amfar’s mission is looking at innovative ways to research a cure for AIDS and treatment for AIDS, and Dignitas is looking to apply a new model of implementation of treatment and care on the ground regarding AIDS," Fry said. "So the partnership between the two organizations really carries from laboratory all the way through to the patient."
Jeffry Roick of McNabb Roick Events chose an Old-Hollywood feel for the fund-raiser, which began with a cocktail reception in the Carlu's grand foyer. Brown wing-back chairs, grey sofas, candles, and old searchlights filled the space, accented with greenery and yellow orchids from San Remo Florist. Black and gold, the colours used in the invitations, filled the dining room. Uplit glass bowls holding yellow Oncidium orchids served as centerpieces, and gold linens topped tables surrounded by black honeycomb chairs. Sheer white fabric and four 12-foot chandeliers hung from the ceiling.
"We like reaching for the most elegant of evenings because the ticket price is $1,000, which we know is a lot," Fry said, "and we want to make sure the evening feels like that over the course of the night."
Jamie Kennedy catered the dinner, which began with ratatouille in pastry with summer vegetables followed by barbecued beef tenderloin with two piquant sauces, acidulated gaufrette potatoes with chanterelle mushrooms, and green and yellow beans. Pear and caramel cheesecake was served for dessert.
A live auction offered guests the chance to bid on items like a New York Fashion Week package, including tickets to attend Amfar's New York Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in February, private tennis lessons with W.T.A. player Jelena Jankovic, and a ski vacation in Courchevel, France. The event concluded with an after-party in the Carlu’s Round Room, sponsored by Grey Goose.
Event sponsors included Sullivan Entertainment, M.A.C. Cosmetics, Cartier, BMO Financial Group, Brookfield Properties Corporation, Burgundy Asset Management, Gucci, Rave Motion Pictures, and RIM.
—Susan O'Neill
RELATED TOPICS
Toronto International Film Festival, Amfar, The Foundation for AIDS Research, Dignitas International, Sullivan Entertainment, M.A.C. Cosmetics, Cartier, BMO Financial Group, Brookfield Properties Corporation, Burgundy Asset Management, Gucci, Rave Motion Pictures, RIM
MORE EVENT REPORT STORIES
OCAD Gala Kicks Off Mystery Art Sale
MoMA Gets Suitably Whimsical and Macabre for Tim Burton Tribute
Developer Hosts Green Cocktail Party, Mini Trade Show to Unveil Eco-Friendly Homes
New Moon Premiere Beckons 10,000 People and 2 Live Wolves
Dark and Moody Accents, Animal-Inspired Decor Appear on Tabletops at Diffa's Dining by Design
MORE STORIES ABOUT TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
TIFF Highlights: Live Music, Live Art, Live Goats Spotted at Festival Events
Natural Selection Presents 50 Cent Performance at TIFF Party
TIFF Wraps With Film Awards, Gala for The Young Victoria
MORE STORIES ABOUT M.A.C. COSMETICS
Events and Pop-Ups Are a Boon to Troubled Retail Real Estate—and Vice Versa
Fashion Group International Previews Trends for Industry Types With Speakers, Runway Show
| More Suppliers/Venues to Consider |
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|
Tryst Nightclub
Part parlour, part garden, part labyrinth under the stars, Tryst is a multisensory experience that beguiles and enchants. Catering only to a discerning clientele, Tryst features three distinct salons that pay tribute to themes of opulence, extravagance, and unspoken sensuality. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
Waves Event Rentals
Waves Event Rentals offers an exclusive line of exciting water features adding the ‛wow“ factor and uniqueness to any event. It provides stand-alone water features including water tables, water towers, water panels, bubble walls, a water back sofa, and a 14-foot mesh water wall; as well creates custom fountains and pools. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
European Elegance Inc.
Making an unforgettable impression requires creativity, passion, and experience. The professional staff at European Elegance use their attention to detail and personal vision to create flawless, stunning events. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
