- Title: FRANCE: Celebs glitter an annual amFAR charity bash in France
- Date: 21st May 2010
- Summary: ACTRESS EMILY BLUNT ON RED CARPET VARIOUS OF ACTRESS MARION COTILLARD TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS EMILY BLUNT, SAYING: "We got here yesterday and it's just sort of blissfully fun here, and I think tonight is just such an exciting event and AMFAR have just done astonishing things for AIDS research, so when they asked me to be one of the chairs I was
- Embargoed: 5th June 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
- Reuters ID: LVA8SL8X6HIWTQ6BBWWCPX9GWXUO
- Story Text: Stars arrive for the amFAR charity event in France, raising money for AIDS research.
Jennifer Lopez, Mick Jagger and Paris Hilton joined dozens of celebrities at the annual amFAR fundraiser in France on Thursday (May 20).
Held during the Cannes film festival, the event always attracts a large number of the celebrities gathered in the south of France.
Singer Mary J Blige was due to perform at the event, and said she hoped she could get people in the mood to donate.
"I mean I just want to show the people a good time, you know, I want to make people dance, I want to make people celebrate what life is and why we're here tonight and that's it."
The black-tie event always includes a raucous auction, where stars help to pull in top end bids to help AIDS research charities.
Unusually absent this year was actress Sharon Stone, whose powers of persuasion have helped raise millions of dollars of auction bids in the past.
This year actor Alan Cummings will be doing the honours, as Stone was held up by a film shoot.
"I mean it's not a competition but I obviously want to do her proud because she's done so, I mean as bananas as she is and darling, she also raises such a lot of money, she really knows how to bludgeon with glamour. So that's what I'm hoping to achieve tonight - bludgeoning with glamour," said Cummings before the event.
Fashion designer Kenneth Cole said he expected guests to still dig deep.
"You know nobody can fill Sharon's shoes, her high-heel platform shoes, but I think there's such a desire and an element of goodwill in the room, and there's so many people that truly want to be part of something bigger than they are. And tonight we'll try to continue to remind people that it's not just about having fun and looking good, but it's about doing good," he said.
The event was a glamorous start to actress Emily Blunt's first time in Cannes.
"We got here yesterday and it's just sort of blissfully fun here, and I think tonight is just such an exciting event and AMFAR have just done astonishing things for AIDS research, so when they asked me to be one of the chairs I was really honoured, really honoured to be here," she said.
Actress Diane Kruger said she hoped this year would be an improvement on a relatively austere even the year before.
"I'm pretty sure, you know last year, you know the big crisis had hit and I think it was kind of a subdued evening and I'm hoping that this year will be back to its old form," she said.
Comedian Chris Tucker said it was hard to guess how high bids might go during the auction.
"Oh, I don't know there's so many rich people here, I don't know. You're just banging into billionaires, so I don't know, you know? I'm going to try to stay still, I'm not in that category, so we'll see what happens."
Most years at least one celebrity is persuaded to auction themselves off -- in 2009, Stone persuaded Twilight star Robert Pattinson to offer up a kiss, which sold for nearly 30,000 US dollars.
"Well god, I wish someone would ask me! I could do some kisses. No, I'm auctioning off a photograph by Karl Lagerfeld, but I wish I were auctioning off kisses," joked designer Tom Ford.
"I'm worth it, I'm a good kisser," he added.
AmFAR's 'Cinema Against AIDS' event has been a regular part of the Cannes fortnight since 1993 - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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