The glitz and glam of the 82nd Venice Film Festival reached a crescendo on Sunday evening, as Hollywood’s elite flocked to the amfAR Venezia Gala, an opulent benefit dinner supporting HIV/AIDS research and prevention. From Jude Law and Colman Domingo to Halsey and Jesse Williams, stars joined philanthropists, researchers, and high-profile international patrons to raise over $3.4 million.
Dressed in a bright-green custom Valentino jacket, Domingo served as the evening’s emcee. The prolific actor kicked off the blowout bash at Venice’s historic Arsenale complex, welcoming guests with a toast and stressing the urgency of continued support for HIV/AIDS research. “To this day, every minute, one person dies of AIDS-related causes,” he said. “And every single minute, two people join the 40 million people worldwide living with HIV.”
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is the world’s leading nonprofit dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic. Founded by Elizabeth Taylor in 1985, amfAR has awarded more than 3,800 grants to research teams worldwide. Thanks to this funding, advances in HIV research have led to new prevention options and have informed new treatments for cancer, as well as improved therapies for people with autoimmune disorders. amfAR’s extravagant, star-studded galas have become a cornerstone of its fundraising, with black-tie events and high-octane auctions throughout the year in Cannes, New York, Las Vegas, and Palm Beach.
At last night’s Venezia Gala, the most sought-after lot was a painting from acclaimed filmmaker and artist Julian Schnabel. The Oscar-nominated director spontaneously offered to paint a portrait of the evening’s highest bidder, setting off a rapturous bidding war. Halsey—the Grammy-nominated singer of “Closer” and “Without Me”—competed with an anonymous phone bidder. Following a heated contest, Schnabel agreed to create two portraits for €500,000 each (about $585,000), one for the anonymous bidder and one for Halsey, who was recently diagnosed with the autoimmune disease lupus.
Schnabel also received amfAR’s Award of Inspiration in recognition of his longstanding commitment to the fight against AIDS. The painter-director, who will screen his latest film In the Hand of Dante at the festival later this week, accepted the honor from Law.
After impeccably dressed attendees enjoyed Italian spritzes, Negronis, Champagne, and a multi-course Venetian dinner featuring umbrina, Ava Max electrified the party with a medley of chart-topping hits, including “Sweet but Psycho” and “Kings & Queens.” Guests like Paris Jackson, Sofia Carson, and Joan Smalls shimmied on the dance floor along the venue’s waterfront and sang along.
“Every death from HIV/AIDS is a tragedy, and we can stop them all with a cure,” Domingo said in closing. “If you take anything with you tonight, let it not be the sobering statistics. Let it be this: We can cure HIV, and we will!”