Cannes Film Festival

Film stars mingled with fashion icons to raise millions

THE BEVY OF MODELS AT CANNES did more than just bring a slinky elegance to the red carpet at the 70th edition of the French film festival. They also helped A-listers such as Uma Thurman and David Beckham rake in $US20 million at a celebrity auction on May 25 at the Hotel du Cap-eden-roc to benefit amfar, the Foundation for AIDS Research. “Three million euros raised last night,” enthused Bella Hadid on Instagram of the 30 dresses she and others helped shill through a fashion show, all snapped up by a single buyer. “So amazing!”

While Leonardo Dicaprio arrived with best mate Tobey Maguire to join a solo Beckham at his table (wife Victoria’s longtime pal Eva Longoria documented the night in her absence, even taking selfies with David), Thurman brought 15-year-old son Levon Roan ThurmanHawke as her date. Others pulling focus

at the dinner, which started in 1993

and has become a festival finale party of sorts, included a fur-jacketed Diana Ross, who sang an exuberant cover of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive”, and Nicole Kidman, who kicked off the evening with Dustin Hoffman by paying tribute to one of amfar’s biggest supporters: “Elizabeth Taylor is the reason we’re here tonight.”

Between dinner and dancing came the bidding. Christoph Waltz offered up a five-day trip to meet the Dalai Lama, which went for $US390,000, the same amount raised to take on Beckham and his friends in a private soccer match. Then Will Smith took the mike from auctioneer Chris Tucker to sell some George Hurrell portraits, a star-filled selfie and “a kiss on the cheek.” That sweet deal sold for $US560,000.

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