Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay will be honored by international AIDS organization amfAR with its Award of Inspiration during the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 3.
The black-tie gala and dinner, taking place at La Misericordia, will include performances by singers Rita Ora and Leona Lewis. The evening is presented by Mastercard, the Red Sea International Film Festival, Chopard and the San Clemente Palace hotel.
“We are thrilled to be returning to Venice for what promises to be a festive evening raising funds to advance our lifesaving HIV cure research,” amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost said in a statement Tuesday. “We’re delighted to be honoring Ava DuVernay with our Award of Inspiration and deeply grateful to our chairs, sponsors and generous supporters for making this evening possible. In addition to warmly welcoming the support of Mastercard, we are indebted to our good friends at Red Sea International Film Festival and Chopard for their continuing generosity.”
The gala comes on the heels of the news that a sixth person may have been cured of HIV through a stem cell transplant. AmfAR most recently awarded grants totaling $2.4 million to U.S. and European research teams working on gene therapy approaches to curing HIV. The group, co-founded by Elizabeth Taylor, has invested more than $635 million since 1985 to finding treatments and cures of HIV/AIDS.
The gala is also supported by Campari, Boroli Wines and Rumor Rosé.
The night before amfAR, an Armani Privé couture show and afterparty will be held on Sept. 2 at the Arsenale.
The Venice Film Festival kicks off Aug. 30. Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers,” starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, was set as the opener, but was pulled from the festival due the SAG-AFTRA strike. Strike rules prohibit actors from doing any promotional activities for a project, making this year’s festival far less starry than it is traditionally known for. Italian World War II epic “Comandante” now opens the festival.
The guest list at last year’s amfAR gala in Venice included Jodie Turner-Smith, Patricia Clarkson, Marisa Tomei, Rachel Brosnahan, Trace Lysette, Zooey Deschanel and Casey Affleck.
The 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival runs Aug. 30 to Sept. 9.
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