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  • Watches and the art of watchmaking

    Official partner of the Ballon d’OrTM since 2021, the watchmaking maison Purnell reveals the unique piece that will be awarded to the respective Men’s and Women’s 2022 Ballon d’Or winner of the 66th edition on October 17th, 2022. For the second consecutive year as Official Partner of the Ballon d’OrTM, Purnell has been holding aces up its sleeve, promising an evening of surprises for the 66th edition of the Ballon d’OrTM to be held on October 17th, 2022, at the Thêatre du Chatelet in Paris, France. Purnell x Ballon d’OrTM Sapphire Limited Edition – Retail Price: CHF 1 million “Football is the most popular sport in the world and the Ballon d’OrTM its most prestigious distinction,” said Maurizio Mazzocchi, CEO of Purnell. “Purnell stands for the best, for the ultimate in the watch industry and could only attach its name to the very best players, the Ballon d’OrTM winners.” “I think that Purnell and the Ballon d’OrTM share two essential values: very high standards of excellence and the taste for performance,” shares Pascal Ferré, Editor-in-Chief of France Football. Crowning a New Winner The Ballon d’OrTM trophy, a literal golden football, has become the ultimate achievement for any football player. Each trophy is unique, just like each laureate, and it is in that spirit of exclusivity that Purnell developed two unique pieces to be awarded to the male and female winner of the Ballon d’OrTM. The 2022 Purnell Ballon d’OrTM Unique Piece is donned in a spectacular 48mm case, with an 18K rose gold football engraved with the Ballon d’OrTM hallmark, encapsulates a flying tourbillon, making a full rotation in 30 seconds. www.purnellwatches.com Instagram: @Purnell_Official Art & Time This year the legendary Maestro Andrea Bocelli will delight the audience performing the iconic “Nessun Dorma” at the opening of the 2022 Ballon d’Or ceremony. PURNELL BALLON D’ORTM 2022 - UNIQUE PIECE Official partner of the Ballon d’OrTM Technical Specifications M O V E M E N T Mechanical Hand Winding Caliber P10 Innovative Flying Tourbillon encased in Golden Football, Full Rotation in 30 seconds Functions: Hour, Minute, Power Reserve Indication via an Ingenious Suspended Mobile Cone Mainspring Sensor Number of Components: 245 Number of Jewels: 37 Power Reserve: 50 hours BALLON D’OR Full rotation in 30 seconds thanks to the Flying Tourbillon inside “Ballon d’Or” weight: 4.14g in 18K Rose Gold

  • Ballon D'or in Paris a celebration

    Official partner of the Ballon d’OrTM since 2021, the watchmaking maison Purnell reveals the unique piece that will be awarded to the respective Men’s and Women’s 2022 Ballon d’Or winner of the 66th edition on October 17th, 2022. For the second consecutive year as Official Partner of the Ballon d’OrTM, Purnell has been holding aces up its sleeve, promising an evening of surprises for the 66th edition of the Ballon d’OrTM to be held on October 17th, 2022, at the Thêatre du Chatelet in Paris, France. Purnell x Ballon d’OrTM Sapphire Limited Edition – Retail Price: CHF 1 million “Football is the most popular sport in the world and the Ballon d’OrTM its most prestigious distinction,” said Maurizio Mazzocchi, CEO of Purnell. “Purnell stands for the best, for the ultimate in the watch industry and could only attach its name to the very best players, the Ballon d’OrTM winners.” “I think that Purnell and the Ballon d’OrTM share two essential values: very high standards of excellence and the taste for performance,” shares Pascal Ferré, Editor-in-Chief of France Football. Crowning a New Winner The Ballon d’OrTM trophy, a literal golden football, has become the ultimate achievement for any football player. Each trophy is unique, just like each laureate, and it is in that spirit of exclusivity that Purnell developed two unique pieces to be awarded to the male and female winner of the Ballon d’OrTM. The 2022 Purnell Ballon d’OrTM Unique Piece is donned in a spectacular 48mm case, with an 18K rose gold football engraved with the Ballon d’OrTM hallmark, encapsulates a flying tourbillon, making a full rotation in 30 seconds. www.purnellwatches.com Instagram: @Purnell_Official Art & Time This year the legendary Maestro Andrea Bocelli will delight the audience performing the iconic “Nessun Dorma” at the opening of the 2022 Ballon d’Or ceremony. PURNELL BALLON D’ORTM 2022 - UNIQUE PIECE Official partner of the Ballon d’OrTM Technical Specifications M O V E M E N T Mechanical Hand Winding Caliber P10 Innovative Flying Tourbillon encased in Golden Football, Full Rotation in 30 seconds Functions: Hour, Minute, Power Reserve Indication via an Ingenious Suspended Mobile Cone Mainspring Sensor Number of Components: 245 Number of Jewels: 37 Power Reserve: 50 hours BALLON D’OR Full rotation in 30 seconds thanks to the Flying Tourbillon inside “Ballon d’Or” weight: 4.14g in 18K Rose Gold

  • Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation teams up with The Venetian Arts Foundation

    Saturday October 1st, the Hotel Hermitage in Monte-Carlo hosted the first Gala Dinner Show, organised by the Venetian Arts Foundation, in the presence of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco. Opened by a performance by international singer and songwriter Mika, the event followed with a show conceived and directed by Antonia Sautter, creative soul of Il Ballo del Doge, the most famous Venetian gala in the world. An event within the event that, through the creative flair of the Venetian designer, gave the guests a spectacular artistic encounter between the two iconic cities: Monaco and Venice. Proceeds from the event were entirely donated to support the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s coastal resilience and marine protection projects. His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco. ©Philippe Fitte/FPA2 The Foundatio's mission is to protect and promote the figurative and musical arts, with a focus on Venetian talents, has chosen Antonia Sautter as artistic director of the show for the first charity and cultural event organized by the foundation on Saturday, October 1st. at the Hotel Hermitage in Monte-Carlo, in the Principality of Monaco. "We are pleased to announce that the first cultural event organized by our foundation, to benefit the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, boasts an important charitable scope: fundraising to support specific projects of the renowned Monegasque foundation to support coastal resilience projects and to raise awareness on climate change and sea level rise" declared Mrs. Daniela Di Giorgio and Mr. Filippo Ghirelli, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and founders of the Venetian Arts Foundation. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to present a performance orchestrated by one of the most talented Venetian artists such as Antonia Sautter, a “Made in Venice” symbol in the world, to an international audience. This represents a fruitful official start to our Foundation, in accordance with our primary mission that is to promote Italian artistic and cultural excellence all over the world. " “I am honoured and enthusiastic to be part of this project. Dreaming in Azur symbolizes the closeness of Venice to Monaco. An elegant tribute with great emotional impact, uniting these two similar cities in sharing a fragile beauty, given their bonds to the sea” states Antonia Sautter. “I believe that Venice - with its history, atmospheres, peculiar “liquid soul” that I staged with Dreaming in Azur – could really help us reflect on the effects of climate change and on what we, as humanity, could lose forever. I hope that the dreamlike immersion in its beauty that I created together with the artists of Il Ballo del Doge will concretely contribute to the charitable purpose of the evening and to remind all guests to contribute to the fight against rising sea level". The cultural charity event organized by the Venetian Arts Foundation, in support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, took place on Saturday October 1st at the Hotel Hermitage in Monte-Carlo and opened with a special performance of multi award winner and international artist, Mika. The funds raised through ticket sales and the charity auction were donated entirely to support the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s projects aimed at strengthening coastal resilience and raising awareness on climate change and consequent sea level rise. "Thanks to the Venetian Arts Foundation we will be able to strengthen our efforts in favour of coastal resilience, a common issue between Venice and Monaco, but also for many cities around the world. That is why the Foundation has launched an initiative dedicated to the Nexus Ocean-Climate-Biodiversity: we namely support pathways for mitigation of climate impacts and adaptation, we also federate experts, scientists, entrepreneurs and mayors of cities most at risks, around innovative solutions." said Olivier Wenden, Vice-President and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. Coastal areas are at the forefront of climate change. Rising sea levels, increasing ocean temperatures, the intensification of extreme weather events, and more erratic rainfall are amplifying economic, social, and environmental vulnerability in coastal zones. By 2050, one billion people living in low-lying areas are expected to be exposed to climate-related risks. Coastal ecosystems, when protected, provide key services to enhance climate resilience and safeguard both blue economies and human wellbeing.

  • Maurice Lacroix contributes to support contemporary art and artists

    Based in Saignelégier, in the heart of the Swiss Jura, Maurice Lacroix's unique watch is auctioned in support of Swiss Institute and TimeForArt, the first-ever benefit auction to support contemporary art and artists. Based on the watch brand’s popular AIKON model, this one-off creation unites watchmaking with a daring exemplar of avant-garde design. Launched in 2016, the AIKON has become a byword for urban style. The inaugural model was quartz, but the collection soon grew to encompass numerous mechanical watches incorporating a variety of complications. In this instance, the brand from the Swiss Jura has created a unique piece, employing a skeleton movement as an artistic canvas, enriched with a myriad of hues. Luminescent hour and minute hands, along with a slim central sweep seconds hand, float above a sapphire dial and collaborate with indexes, once again luminescent, to indicate the prevailing time. Maurice Lacroix has worked closely with movement specialist Sellita to conceive the exclusive Automatic ML115 (base SW200) featured within this watch. For the first time, the watch brand has also suffused the movement plate and bridges with a special rainbow treatment, imbuing the model with a very distinctive appearance. Courtesy of its openworked design, the wearer is able to see a plethora of moving components ordinarily hidden from view. The movement plays with transparency, allowing light to pass through its various openings, thereby illuminating a myriad of parts. The oscillating weight is customised, incorporating sandblasted and sunbrushed decoration. Furthermore, the movement is adorned with colimaçon. Maurice Lacroix's unique version of its AIKON Automatic Skeleton was sold at the prestigious auction, Phillips ‘New York Watch Auction: SEVEN’. Held on Saturday 10th December, the auction attracted much interest, with the watch ultimately selling for $7,000. The funds raised will be donated to Swiss Institute. Stephane Waser, Managing Director of Maurice Lacroix remarked, “I am proud that we have brought this unique artistic expression of the AIKON to the fabulous city of New York, a place where our urban watches look very much at home! We are thrilled to see this unique piece sell for $7,000 in support of Swiss Institute. I hope its new owner will derive much pleasure from wearing their new watch, a model that unites artistic expression with Swiss watchmaking know-how.” Based on the watch brand’s popular AIKON model, this one-off avant-garde creation features a skeleton movement, enriched with a myriad of hues. Luminescent hour and minute hands, along with a slim central sweep seconds hand, float above a sapphire dial. The Swiss brand has dressed the movement plate and bridges with a special rainbow treatment, imbuing the model with a very distinctive appearance. Courtesy of its openworked design, the wearer is able to see numerous moving components usually hidden from view. Housed in a 39mm stainless steel case, the automatic movement is also endowed with a rainbow-themed oscillating weight, visible courtesy of a sapphire caseback. The Maurice Lacroix TimeForArt not only imparts time, but also serves as a breathtaking example of contemporary art, something that will no doubt resonate with Swiss Institute and its many supporters. TimeforArt New York non-profit Swiss Institute introduces TimeForArt, the first-ever benefit watch auction to support contemporary art. The inaugural edition of TimeForArt gathers exceptional timepieces from the world’s foremost watchmakers, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to supporting today’s most visionary artists through Swiss Institute’s innovative exhibitions, public programs, education & community engagement workshops in New York City and beyond. The timepieces curated for TimeForArt express the most artistic elements of contemporary watchmaking, shining a light on the creative core of today’s horology. With the theme of artists for artists, all featured watches are either unique collaborations with world-renowned artisans, interventions by leading contemporary artists, bespoke examples of innovative craftsmanship or coveted limited-edition timepieces. The rainbow-theme also extends to the oscillating weight, a feature that obviates the need for manual winding. It can be viewed in all its glory, courtesy of a sapphire caseback. Housed in a modestly sized 39mm stainless steel case, the timepiece is presented on a matching bracelet and supplied with an additional black rubber strap. The Maison’s ingenious Easy Strap Exchange System provides a simple means of swapping between the bracelet and strap without the need for tools. The Maurice Lacroix TimeForArt not only imparts time, but also serves as a breathtaking example of contemporary art, something that will no doubt resonate with Swiss Institute and its many supporters. TimeforArt benefit auction and roadshow details The Maurice Lacroix TimeForArt will be auctioned at the Phillips ‘New York Watch Auction: SEVEN’ which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, December 10 and 11. Prior to the event, each expression of horological art will be exhibited in various cities around the globe as part of the forthcoming Philips roadshow. Singapore: 13-15 October London: 20-23 October Geneva: 2-6 November Hong Kong: 24-29 November New York: 3-9 December

  • Anne Hathaway at 60th New York Film Festival

    Anne Hathaway DATE: October 12, 2022 EVENT: The red carpet event for "Armageddon Time" during the 60th New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center LOOK: Valentino Haute Couture look from The Beginning Fall/Winter 2022-23 collection LOCATION: New York CREDIT: Valentino/IPA OFFICIAL TAG: @maisonvalentino The New York Film Festival (NYFF) is a film festival held every fall in New York City, presented by Film at Lincoln Center (FLC). Founded in 1963 by Richard Roud and Amos Vogel with the support of Lincoln Center president William Schuman, it is one of the longest-running and most prestigious film festivals in the United States. The non-competitive festival is centered on a "Main Slate" of typically 20–30 feature films, with additional sections for experimental cinema and new restorations. As of 2020, Eugene Hernandez is the Director of NYFF and Dennis Lim is the Director of Programming for NYFF. Kent Jones was the festival director from 2013 to 2019. Film at Lincoln Center announces additional Talks and special events for the 60th New York Film Festival (September 30–October 16). NYFF60 Talks are presented by HBO®, complementing festival screenings with a series of free panel discussions and in-depth conversations among a wide range of guests. In addition to the exciting lineup of previously announced free Talks, festival attendees are invited to join visionary director Park Chan-wook in an in-depth conversation about his remarkable oeuvre and the making of his latest masterwork, Decision to Leave. We are also pleased to announce special guest moderators for two Deep Focus events: actress Emily Mortimer will be in conversation with Noah Baumbach (White Noise, NYFF60 Opening Night) on October 1, and novelist and critic Elif Batuman will moderate the discussion with Annie Ernaux (The Super 8 Years, NYFF60 Spotlight) on October 11. Festival members are also welcome to attend a conversation with Effie T. Brown, moderated by Academy Award® nominated and Emmy-winning producer and director Lisa Cortés about her work as a producer and advocate for diversity and inclusion within the film industry. A producer of the NYFF60 Closing Night film The Inspection, Brown is CEO of Gamechanger Films, which produces, develops, and finances content by and about women, POC, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. An Evening with Tilda Swinton features the award-winning actor and artist as she takes the stage for what promises to be an engaging and candid conversation. Reuniting with Joanna Hogg, Swinton stars in the NYFF60 Main Slate selection The Eternal Daughter and, in a performance of rich, endless surprise, turns in one of the most remarkable acting feats in her astonishing career. Tickets are on sale now; talk-only tickets are $30 (General Public) / $25 (Members). A special package is also available featuring a ticket to the talk, access to a private reception with Tilda Swinton, and a ticket to the sold-out screening of The Eternal Daughter on October 10 at 9pm at Alice Tully Hall. For more information, please contact the Patron Desk at patrons@filmlinc.org or (212) 875-5668. Proceeds support Film at Lincoln Center in its nonprofit mission to support the art and craft of cinema. This September, cinema lost one of its most iconoclastic and influential artists and thinkers when Jean-Luc Godard passed away at age 91. To say that Godard’s mark upon film history and aesthetics is profound would be a vast understatement: few have so radically transformed our understanding of the medium’s possibilities, of the inextricable link between cinema and politics, of the ways in which thought itself can play out within and between images and sounds. Godard wasn’t merely a fixture at the New York Film Festival: from its very beginning (his contribution to the omnibus film Ro.Go.Pa.G., “The New World”, was included in the inaugural NYFF in 1963), Godard’s work has been a guiding light for the festival, with more than 25 films selected across every decade of the festival’s 60-year-existence. (Additionally, he was the subject of an extensive retrospective at NYFF51.) It will take decades to come to grips with the extent of his intervention into film art, but for now, we pay tribute to an artist who exhilarated and challenged us year after year by presenting his final film, 2018’s sprawling, dense, testament-like The Image Book (an NYFF56 Main Slate selection), on a loop and for free in the Amphitheater at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center throughout the festival’s first week. Talks are organized by Devika Girish and Madeline Whittle, in collaboration with Eugene Hernandez and Dennis Lim. Deep Focus: Park Chan-wook is sponsored by Vulture. Presented by Film at Lincoln Center, the New York Film Festival highlights the best in world cinema and takes place September 30–October 16, 2022. An annual bellwether of the state of cinema that has shaped film culture since 1963, the festival continues an enduring tradition of introducing audiences to bold and remarkable works from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent. Along with screenings at Lincoln Center, as part of its 60th anniversary celebration, the New York Film Festival will offer festival screenings in all five boroughs of New York City in partnership with Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (Staten Island), BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) (Brooklyn), the Bronx Museum of the Arts (Bronx), Maysles Documentary Center (Harlem), and the Museum of the Moving Image (Queens). Each venue will present a selection of films throughout the festival; a complete schedule can be found here. NYFF60 tickets are on sale now. FLC invites audiences to celebrate this milestone anniversary by reflecting on their NYFF experiences with our NYFF Memories survey and by taking part in our Letterboxd Watch Challenge. Please note: Masks are required for all staff, audiences, and filmmakers at all times in public spaces at FLC indoor spaces. Proof of full vaccination is not required for NYFF60 audiences at FLC indoor spaces, but full vaccination is strongly recommended. Visit filmlinc.org/safety for more information. For health and safety protocols at partner venues, please visit their official websites. DESCRIPTIONS An Evening with Tilda Swinton Take part in a special evening celebrating award-winning actor and artist Tilda Swinton as she takes the stage for a candid conversation. Reuniting with Joanna Hogg, Swinton stars in the NYFF60 Main Slate selection The Eternal Daughter and, in a performance of rich, endless surprise, turns in one of the most remarkable acting feats in her astonishing career. In the conversation, Swinton will reflect on her illustrious acting career, which began with Caravaggio (1985), the first of seven films she made with the director Derek Jarman. She earned wider international acclaim in Orlando (1992), Sally Potter’s film based on the novel by Virginia Woolf. In addition to Hogg, the extensive list of distinguished directors with whom Swinton has worked with includes Pedro Almodóvar, Joel and Ethan Coen, Luca Guadagnino, Bong Joon Ho, Jim Jarmusch, Lynne Ramsay, Béla Tarr, Wes Anderson, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. She received the BAFTA and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2008 for Tony Gilroy’s Michael Clayton and in 2020 was the recipient of a BFI Fellowship and a Leon d’Oro at the Venice Film Festival for her lifetime’s work. New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis said of Swinton, “The woman of a thousand otherworldly faces, Tilda Swinton has created enough personas — with untold wigs, costumes and accents — to have become a roster of one. She’s a star, a character actor, a performance artist, an extraterrestrial, a trickster.“ Tickets on sale now. Monday, October 10, 6:00pm, Walter Reade Theater Free Talks Park Chan-wook Three decades into his feature filmmaking career, cult-favorite Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook—recipient of the Best Director award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival—makes his NYFF debut with Decision to Leave, an intricate Hitchcockian epic that both draws on familiar genres like the crime thriller and the melodrama and takes them in entirely new formal and psychological directions. We are excited to welcome Park for a deep-dive conversation delving into his long and acclaimed career, his affinity for genre filmmaking, his artistic influences and inspirations, and the making of his latest feature. Sunday, October 9, 1:00pm, Amphitheater A Conversation with Effie T. Brown Join Effie T. Brown for a conversation with Lisa Cortés about her work as a producer and advocate for diversity and inclusion within the film industry. A producer of the NYFF60 Closing Night film The Inspection, Brown is CEO of Gamechanger Films, which produces, develops, and finances content by and about women, POC, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. Prior to joining Gamechanger, Brown produced Real Women Have Curves, Dear White People, HBO’s Project Greenlight, and executive produced Lee Daniels’ Star on FOX and Disney Channel’s Zombies. Most recently, Effie’s Gamechanger Films co-financed Netflix’s Passing, directed by Rebecca Hall, an NYFF59 selection. Currently, Effie is showrunning A Fashion Tale, a four-part Disney+/VICE docu-series to be hosted by Gwen Stefani. As an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Brown serves as the Chair of the Academy Museum Inclusion Advisory Committee and is also a Board Member for the Museum. Moderator Lisa Cortés is an Academy Award® nominated and Emmy-winning producer and director, renowned for creating challenging, visionary stories and empowering diverse voices. Her upcoming film credits include Little Richard: I Am Everything and The Empire of Ebony; she is co-director of All In: The Fight For Democracy (Amazon Studios) and producer of the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary The Apollo. She was executive producer of the Academy Award-winning film Precious, and her film productions have received over 70 international awards and nominations. Lisa launched her early career as a music executive at the iconic Def Jam label and Rush Artist Management. Cortés has a first look deal with Blue Ant Studios with projects in development including a docuseries adaptation of Clover Hope’s The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip Hop and scripted projects No Retreat and Little Apple. She is on the Board of Directors of Film at Lincoln Center. Wednesday, October 12, 5:00pm, Amphitheater Free Loop The Image Book Jean-Luc Godard, 2018, Switzerland, 90m Jean-Luc Godard’s “late period” probably began with 2001’s In Praise of Love, and since then he had formulated and enacted a path toward an ending: the ending of individual films, the ending of engagement with cinema, and, at age 87 upon the completion of his last film, the possible ending of his own existence. With The Image Book all barriers between the artist, his art, and his audience dissolved. The film is structured in chapters and predominantly comprises pre-existing images, many of which will be familiar from Godard’s previous work. The relationship between image and sound is, as always, intensely physical and sometimes jaw-dropping. An NYFF56 selection. Special thanks to Kino Lorber Saturday, October 1, 2:00pm-5pm, Amphitheater (2 plays) Sunday, October 2, 4:00 – 5:30pm, Amphitheater Monday, October 3, 12:00 – 3:00pm, Amphitheater (2 plays) Tuesday, October 4, 2:00 – 5:00pm, Amphitheater (2 plays) Wednesday, October 5, 2:00 – 5:00pm, Amphitheater (2 plays) Thursday, October 6, 2:00 – 5:00pm, Amphitheater (2 plays) Friday, October 7, 2:00 – 5:00pm, Amphitheater (2 plays) FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER Film at Lincoln Center is dedicated to supporting the art and elevating the craft of cinema and enriching film culture. Film at Lincoln Center fulfills its mission through the programming of festivals, series, retrospectives, and new releases; the publication of Film Comment; and the presentation of podcasts, talks, special events, and artist initiatives. Since its founding in 1969, this nonprofit organization has brought the celebration of American and international film to the world-renowned Lincoln Center arts complex, making the discussion and appreciation of cinema accessible to a broad audience and ensuring that it remains an essential art form for years to come. Support for the New York Film Festival is generously provided by Official Partners HBO, Campari®, and The New York Times; Benefactor Partners Netflix and Citi; Supporting partners Bloomberg Philanthropies, Topic Studios, and Hearst; Contributing Partners Dolby, Turner Classic Movies (TCM), MUBI, INFINITI, Participant, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Manhattan Portage, and Unifrance; and Media Partners Variety, Deadline Hollywood, The Hollywood Reporter, WABC-TV, Vulture, The WNET Group, WNYC, IndieWire, and Shutterstock. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Film at Lincoln Center.

  • Purnell unveils the 2022 Ballon d’OrTM Unique Piece

    Official partner of the Ballon d’OrTM since 2021, the watchmaking maison Purnell reveals the unique piece that will be awarded to the respective Men’s and Women’s 2022 Ballon d’Or winner of the 66th edition on October 17th, 2022. For the second consecutive year as Official Partner of the Ballon d’OrTM, Purnell has been holding aces up its sleeve, promising an evening of surprises for the 66th edition of the Ballon d’OrTM to be held on October 17th, 2022, at the Thêatre du Chatelet in Paris, France. Purnell x Ballon d’OrTM Sapphire Limited Edition – Retail Price: CHF 1 million “Football is the most popular sport in the world and the Ballon d’OrTM its most prestigious distinction,” said Maurizio Mazzocchi, CEO of Purnell. “Purnell stands for the best, for the ultimate in the watch industry and could only attach its name to the very best players, the Ballon d’OrTM winners.” “I think that Purnell and the Ballon d’OrTM share two essential values: very high standards of excellence and the taste for performance,” shares Pascal Ferré, Editor-in-Chief of France Football. Crowning a New Winner The Ballon d’OrTM trophy, a literal golden football, has become the ultimate achievement for any football player. Each trophy is unique, just like each laureate, and it is in that spirit of exclusivity that Purnell developed two unique pieces to be awarded to the male and female winner of the Ballon d’OrTM. The 2022 Purnell Ballon d’OrTM Unique Piece is donned in a spectacular 48mm case, with an 18K rose gold football engraved with the Ballon d’OrTM hallmark, encapsulates a flying tourbillon, making a full rotation in 30 seconds. www.purnellwatches.com Instagram: @Purnell_Official Art & Time This year the legendary Maestro Andrea Bocelli will delight the audience performing the iconic “Nessun Dorma” at the opening of the 2022 Ballon d’Or ceremony. PURNELL BALLON D’ORTM 2022 - UNIQUE PIECE Official partner of the Ballon d’OrTM Technical Specifications M O V E M E N T Mechanical Hand Winding Caliber P10 Innovative Flying Tourbillon encased in Golden Football, Full Rotation in 30 seconds Functions: Hour, Minute, Power Reserve Indication via an Ingenious Suspended Mobile Cone Mainspring Sensor Number of Components: 245 Number of Jewels: 37 Power Reserve: 50 hours BALLON D’OR Full rotation in 30 seconds thanks to the Flying Tourbillon inside “Ballon d’Or” weight: 4.14g in 18K Rose Gold

  • The 66th BFI London Film Festival

    Florence Pugh DATE: October 7th, 2022 EVENT: "The Wonder" UK premiere during the 66th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall LOOK: Valentino Haute Couture dress from The Beginning Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2022-23 collection LOCATION: London CREDIT: Valentino/GettyImages OFFICIAL TAG: @maisonvalentino The 66th BFI London Film Festival (LFF) in partnership with American Express today announces the full programme lineup, which will be presented in cinemas and online, across the UK. Over 12 days from 5 to 16 October, the LFF will return to its fantastic flagship venues in the heart of London – BFI Southbank and the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, which between them host Galas, Special Presentations and Official Competition. Films and series from all strands of the festival screen in many of central London’s iconic cinemas with a curated selection of features showcased at 10 partner venues across the UK. The full programme features films, series and immersive art works from over 63 countries with 41% of the programme made by female and non-binary directors/creators or co-directors/creators and 34% made by ethnically diverse directors/creators. An impressive number of major alumni filmmakers return to LFF including: Darren Aronofsky, Noah Baumbach, James Benning, Marco Bellocchio, Bertrand Bonello, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Richard Eyre, Kevin Jerome Everson, Patricio Guzmán, Mani Haghighi, Mia Hansen-Løve, Joanna Hogg, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Rian Johnson, Asif Kapadia, Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy, Sebastián Lelio, Sébastien Lifshitz, Tobias Lindholm, Edward Lovelace, Martin McDonagh, Santiago Mitre, Michel Ocelot, Ruben Östlund, François Ozon, Park Chan-wook, Alexandre O. Philippe, Laura Poitras, Sarah Polley, Lucía Puenzo, João Pedro Rodrigues, Jerzy Skolimowski, Paolo Taviani, Guillermo del Toro, Lars von Trier, Nora Twomey. Major emerging alumni returning to LFF with new features include: Ali Abassi, Fyzal Boulifa, Lukas Dhont, Alice Diop, Sally El Hosaini, Soudade Kaadan, Hlynur Pálmason, with the festival also introducing audiences to a thrilling new generation of international filmmakers with 39 debut features in LFF. Every feature and series screens to audiences in the UK for the very first time, with many shown publicly for the first time ever anywhere in the world. Premieres include 23 feature film and 3 series world premieres, 6 feature film international premieres and 15 feature film and 2 series European premieres. As previously announced the LFF Expanded programme of immersive art features 6 world premieres. World premieres from filmmakers and artists include: Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio; a new series from television auteur Hugo Blick, The English, starring Emily Blunt and a brand new commission AR from acclaimed filmmaker Guy Maddin, Haunted Hotel: A Melodrama in Augmented Reality. She Said (2022) International premieres include She Said, starring Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan and based on the book from New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, and award-winning documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner’s Last Flight Home. Major European premieres include: Empire of Light from Sam Mendes; Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery from Rian Johnson; My Policeman, directed by Michael Grandage and starring Emma Corrin, Harry Styles and Rupert Everett; Chinonye Chukwu’s Till, starring Danielle Deadwyler and Whoopi Goldberg; Allelujah, directed by Richard Eyre adapted from Alan Bennett’s play, with stars including Judi Dench and Jennifer Saunders; Frank Berry’s Aisha starring Letitia Wright and Josh O’Connor, and Lady Chatterley’s Lover, directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre and also starring Emma Corrin alongside Jack O’Connell. Nanny (2022) LFF will host the European premieres of several major new filmmaking voices: Sundance award-winner Nikyatu Jusu with Nanny; acclaimed theatre director Lila Neugebauer’s Causeway starring Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry, and photographer and documentarian Elegance Bratton’s The Inspection. Audiences will enjoy a rich programme of fiction, documentary, animation, artists’ moving image, short film, newly restored classics from the world’s archives, and exciting international works made in immersive and episodic forms. LFF for Free will return to BFI Southbank with a programme of in-person events and screenings as well as a programme of free short films and events that will be available across the UK virtually. The festival will also be accessible UK-wide via a specially curated programme of feature and short films on BFI Player, which viewers will be able to enjoy for a full week after the festival (from 14 to 23 October). Explore the full programme I’m immensely proud of the BFI London Film Festival and the talented team who take it from strength to strength every year. They continue to find creative ways of reaching new audiences across the UK, including through our free programme and a wider range of work, including our Series and VR and immersive works. The LFF provides a vital platform for global filmmakers to showcase their work and I’m excited to see such a bold and expansive range of films, more world premieres than ever and an incredible range of debuts from UK directors. We couldn’t do it without our loyal supporters, including our principal partner of 13 years American Express, so huge thanks to them and our many other sponsors, funders, partners, including the UK Government and the UK’s National Lottery players who do so much to enable both the festival and our work throughout the year.Ben Roberts, CEO, BFI If there is something that unites these brilliant but disparate works, it’s the boldness and ambition of their filmmakers and creators. As we emerge from an unprecedented period of disruption and change – a global health crisis, instability, climate change – artists are our North Star, helping guide us and shape our understanding in a complex and often confusing world. And the work here reminds me again of why we love films, television, visual storytelling of all kinds… it has the power to help us see. We are so grateful to these artists for their incredible films, series and immersive works and can’t wait to share it with audiences.Tricia Tuttle, BFI London Film Festival director The LFF is delighted to invite audiences once again to its London hubs on the South Bank and in the West End, with both areas remaining at the heart of the BFI London Film Festival experience. Each night, a gala will screen at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on an 18-metre screen with full high-spec 7.1 channel surround sound, ensuring every seat in the over-2000-seater venue is the best in the house.The BFI’s iconic flagship venue BFI Southbank will host the prestigious competition titles, the LFF Series programme, Screen Talks and LFF For Free Events. A host of London cinemas will also screen titles from the programme including: Odeon Luxe West End, the Prince Charles Cinema, ICA, Curzon Soho and Curzon Mayfair, each of them welcoming special guests to present their work to audiences across London’s West End. The LFF is one of the world’s leading film festivals, with a programme that offers audiences the chance to be among the first to see hotly anticipated films from the most exciting new and established filmmakers from around the globe. The LFF competitive sections will recognise remarkable creative filmmaking achievements, and be presented in a digital ceremony, open to all on the final evening of the LFF. A soon-to-be announced set of juries will select the winners across five categories: Official Competition, First Feature, Documentary, Immersive Art and XR and Short Film. The LFF Audience Award, introduced in 2021, allows festival-goers to vote for their favourite feature, while a new category, Audience Award – Best Short Film, is also introduced this year. Haunted Hotel: A Melodrama in Augmented Reality (2022) As previously announced, LFF Expanded is presented in partnership with the National Theatre, and returns in 2022 for its third year, and features ground-breaking work from artists and creative teams working in immersive media including virtual, augmented and mixed reality, from across the UK and internationally. The programme takes place across multiple venues on London’s South Bank; 26 Leake Street, the award-winning venue located in the Leake Street graffiti tunnel, National Theatre and at BFI Southbank. This programme includes the world premiere, commissioned by the LFF, of Guy Maddin’s Haunted Hotel: A Melodrama in Augmented Reality. Presented at BFI Southbank, this evocative, immersive exhibition transports the audience into a surreal paper world, created from an eclectic selection of clippings drawn from Maddin’s own personal archive, set to an intricate soundscape by acclaimed composer Magnus Fiennes. The English (2022) Following last year’s incredibly successful debut, the LFF Series strand returns to showcase some of the best in new episodic programming from around the world, including three World Premieres at this year’s festival. Audiences can enjoy screenings of some of the most anticipated and exciting new series presented across a number of the LFF strands. The Series programmed is headlined by the world premiere of western The English starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, and includes the long-awaited third season of Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom trilogy, The Kingdom Exodus; Señorita 89, from director and showrunner Lucía Puenzo and producers Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín, and the previously announced espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends and comedy-drama Mammals. The festival aims to be inclusive, accessible and welcoming and includes many ways audiences can engage outside of the official selection: through LFF for Free, Screen Talks with major filmmakers and actors and virtual Q&As across the festival. Young cinemagoers, audiences aged 16-25 and emerging professionals can also enrich their engagement of the festival in a number of key ways: our 25 & Under £5 tickets, available across selected titles in the festival; our family screenings, our education programmes, and via events and screenings for young aspiring professionals presented with BFI Film Academy and the BFI Future Film Festival. A full programme of events and screenings is available for professional and press delegates across the festival. Headline Galas Opening Night Gala – Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (UK, dir. Matthew Warchus) Closing Night Gala – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (USA, dir.scr. Rian Johnson) American Express Gala – Empire of Light (UK-USA, dir.scr. Sam Mendes) American Airlines Gala – The Banshees of Inisherin (Ireland-UK-USA, dir.scr. Martin McDonagh) Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Mexico, dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu) Decision to Leave (South Korea, dir.-prod. Park Chan-wook) Living (UK, dir. Oliver Hermanus) Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (USA, dir. Guillermo Del Toro, Mark Gustafson) She Said (USA, dir. Maria Schrader) The Son (UK, dir. Florian Zeller) The Mayor of London’s Gala – Till (USA, dir. Chinonye Chukwu) BFI Patrons’ Gala – The Whale (USA, dir. Darren Aronofsky) White Noise (USA, dir.scr. Noah Baumbach) The Wonder (UK-Ireland, dir. Sebastián Lelio) Special Presentations Allelujah (UK, dir. Richard Eyre) Causeway (USA, dir. Lila Neugebauer) Series Special Presentation – The English (UK-Spain, dir.scr. Hugo Blick) The Eternal Daughter (UK-USA, dir.scr. Joanna Hogg) Holy Spider (Denmark-Germany-Sweden-France, dir. Ali Abbasi) My Imaginary Country (Chile-France, dir.scr. Patricio Guzmán) My Policeman (UK, dir. Michael Grandage) Nanny (USA, dir.scr. Nikyatu Jusu) Nil by Mouth (UK, dir.scr. Gary Oldman) The Swimmers (UK, dir. Sally El Hosaini) Triangle of Sadness (Sweden-Germany-France-UK, dir.scr. Ruben Östlund) – In association with Time Out Women Talking (USA, dir.scr. Sarah Polley) BFI Flare Special Presentation – The Inspection (USA, dir.scr. Elegance Bratton) Experimenta Special Presentation – Piaffe (Germany, dir. Ann Oren) LFF Awards Official Competition Argentina, 1985 (Argentina, dir.scr. Santiago Mitre) Brother (Canada, dir.scr. Clement Virgo) Corsage (Austria-Luxembourg-Germany-France, dir.scr. Marie Kreutzer) Les damnés ne pleurent pas (France-Belgium-Morocco, dir.scr. Fyzal Boulifa) Enys Men (UK, dir.scr. Mark Jenkin) Godland (Denmark-Iceland-France-Sweden, dir.scr. Hlynur Pálmason) Nezouh (UK-Syria-France, dir.scr. Soudade Kaadan) Saint Omer (France, dir.scr. Alice Diop) First Feature Competition 1976 (Chile-Argentina-Qatar, dir. Manuela Martelli) Blue Jean (UK, dir.scr. Georgia Oakley) Jeong-Sun (South Korea, dir.scr. Jeong Ji-Hye) Joyland (Pakistan, dir. Saim Sadiq) Medusa Deluxe (UK, dir.scr. Thomas Hardiman) Our Lady of the Chinese Shop (Angola, dir.scr. Ery Claver) Robe of Gems (Argentina-Mexico, dir.scr. Natalia López Gallardo) Rodeo (France, dir. Lola Quivoron) Documentary Competition All That Breathes (India-UK-USA, dir. Shaunak Sen) All That Beauty and the Bloodshed (USA, dir. Laura Poitras) Casa Susanna (France-USA, dir. Sébastien Lifshitz) The Future Tense (Ireland-UK, dir.scr. Christine Molloy, Joe Lawlor) Kanaval: A People’s History of Haiti in Six Chapters (Haiti-UK, dir.scr. Leah Gordon, Eddie Hutton Mills) Lynch/Oz (USA, dir.scr. Alexandre O. Philippe) Name Me Lawand (UK, dir.scr. Edward Lovelace) What About China? (USA-China-Singapore, dir.scr. Trinh Minh-Ha) Immersive Art and XR Competition All Unsaved Progress Will Be Lost (France, Lead artist: Mélanie Courtinat) Apparatus Ludens (UK-Sweden, Lead artist: Untold Garden) As Mine Exactly (UK, Lead artist: Charlie Shackleton) Black Movement Library — Movement Portraits (USA, Lead artist: Lajuné Mcmillian) The Choice (Canada-Poland, Lead artist: Joanne Popinska) Digital Motions (Germany, Lead artists — Helge Letonja, Marcel Karnapke, Björn Lengers, Anke Euler, Music Florian Tippe) Framerate: Pulse of the Earth (UK, Lead artists — Matthew Shaw, William Trossell, Scanlab Projects) In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats (UK, Lead artist – Darren Emerson) The Infinite Library (India-Germany-Czech Republic, Lead artist: Mika Johnson) Intravene (UK-Canada, Lead artists – Darkfield, Crackdown, Brenda Longfellow) The Last Time I Saw Snow (UK, Lead artists — Isobel Mascarenhas-Whitman, Alex Tennyson) Line of Contact (Netherlands-UK-Ukraine, Lead artist – Dani Ploeger) Missing Pictures Episode 3: The Monkey Wrench Gang (France-UK-Taiwan-Luxembourg-South Korea, Lead artist – Clément Deneux, With – Catherine Hardwicke) Monoliths (UK, Lead artists — Lucy Hammond, Hannah Davies, Asma Elbadawi, Carmen Marcus) On the Morning You Wake (To the End of the World) (UK-France-USA, Lead artists — Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, Mike Brett, Steve Jamison, Arnaud Colinart, Pierre Zandrowicz) Pan + Tilt (UK, Lead artists — Ruth Gibson, Bruno Martelli) Planet City (USA-China, Lead artists — L Liam Young, Kayvan Boudai, Elliot Ordower, James Clark) Walzer (The Netherlands, Lead artists — Frieda Gustavs, Leo Erken) Short Film Competition An Avocado Pit (Portugal, dir.scr. Ary Zara) Checoslovaquia (Peru, dir.scr. Dennis Perinango) Drop Out (UK, dir. Ade Femzo) I Have No Legs, and I Must Run (China, dir.scr. Yue Li) It’s Raining Frogs Outside (Philippines, dir.scr. Maria Estela Paiso) The Ritual to Beauty (USA, dir. Maria Marrone, Shenny De Los Angeles) Rosemary A.D. (After Dad) (USA, dir.scr. Ethan Barrett) A Sod State (Ireland-Netherlands, dir.-prod. Eoghan Ryan) Transparent (UK, dir. Siobhan Davies) As in previous years, the feature film programme is organised by strand to encourage discovery and to open up the festival to new audiences. These are: Love, Debate, Laugh, Dare, Thrill, Cult, Journey, Create, Experimenta, Family and Treasures. Audiences can also find a new and exciting Series programming in many of the strands. Love Aftersun (UK-USA, dir.scr. Charlotte Wells) Blue Bag Life (UK, dir. Lisa Selby, Rebecca Hirsch Lloyd-Evans, Alex Fry) The Blue Caftan (France-Morocco-Belgium, dir.scr. Maryam Touzani) Close (Belgium-France-Netherlands, dir. Lukas Dhont) The Cloud Messenger (India, dir.scr. Rahat Mahajan) Lady’s Chatterley’s Lover (UK, dir. Laure De Clermont-Tonnerre) Last Flight Home (USA, dir. Ondi Timoner) Love Life (Japan-France, dir.scr. Kôji Fukada) Malintzin 17 (Mexico-Switzerland, dir. Eugenio Polgovsky, Mara Polgovsky) Mammals (UK, dir. Stephanie Laing) Maya Nilo (Laura) (Sweden, dir. Lovisa Sirén) More than Ever (France-Germany-Luxembourg-Norway, dir. Emily Atef) One Fine Morning (France-Germany, dir.scr. Mia Hansen-Løve) Pretty Red Dress (UK, dir.scr. Dionne Edwards) A Room of My Own (Georgia-Germany, dir. Ioseb ‘soso’ Bliadze) She Is Love (UK, dir.scr. Jamie Adams) Tori and Lokita (Belgium-France, dir.scr. Jean Pierre and Luc Dardenne) Winter Boy (France, dir.scr. Christophe Honoré) Debate Blaze (Australia, dir. Del Kathryn Barton) Blue Island (Hong Kong (S.A.R Of China)-Japan-Taiwan, dir. Chan Tze-Woon) Bobi Wine: Ghetto President (Uganda, dir. Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp) Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power (USA, dir.-prod.-scr. Nina Menkes) Call Jane (USA, dir. Phyllis Nagy) Declaration (India, dir.scr. Mahesh Narayanan) Exterior Night (Italy-France, dir. Marco Bellocchio) Hidden Letters (China-USA-Norway-Germany, dir. Violet Du Feng, Zhao Qing) If the Streets Were on Fire (UK, dir. Alice Russel) Klondike (Ukraine, dir.scr. Maryna Er Gorbach) Next Sohee (South Korea, dir.scr. July Jung) Palm Trees and Power Lines (USA, dir. Jamie Dack) Stonewalling (Japan, dir.scr. Huang Ji, Ryuji Otsuka) The Store (Sweden-Italy, dir.scr. Ami-Ro Sköld) Laugh Chee$E (Trinidad And Tobago-USA, dir.scr. Damian Marcano) The Estate (USA, dir.scr. Dean Craig) Fast & Feel Love (Thailand, dir.scr. Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit) I Love My Dad (USA, dir.scr. James Morosini) Klokkenluider (UK-USA, dir.scr. Neil Maskell) The Middle Ages (Argentina, dir. Luciana Acuña, Alejo Moguillansky) Rimini (Austria-France-Germany, dir. Ulrich Seidl) Sick of Myself (Norway-Sweden, dir.scr. Kristoffer Borgli) Dare Butterfly Vision (Ukraine-Czech Republic-Croatia-Sweden, dir. Maksym Nakonechnyi) Coma (France, dir.scr. Bertrand Bonello) De Humani Corporis Fabrica (France, dir. Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Verena Paravel) Eo (Poland-Italy, dir. Jerzy Skolimowski) Horseplay (Los Agitadores) (Argentina, dir.scr. Marco Berger) Inland (UK, dir.scr. Fridtjof Ryder) Into the Ice (Denmark-Germany, dir.scr. Lars Henrik Ostenfeld) Manticore (Spain, dir.scr. Carlos Vermut) Pacifiction (France-Spain-Germany-Portugal, dir.scr. Albert Serra) Shttl (Ukraine-France, dir.scr. Ady Walter) Subtraction (Iran-France, dir. Mani Haghighi) Unrest (Switzerland, dir.scr. Cyril Schäublin) The Woodcutter Story (Finland-Netherlands-Denmark-Germany, dir.scr. Mikko Myllylahti) Xalé (Senegal-Ivory Coast, dir. Moussa Sène Absa) Thrill Ashkal (France-Tunisia-Qatar, dir. Youssef Chebbi) The Blaze (France, Quentin Reynaud) Boy from Heaven (Sweden-France-Finland-Denmark, dir.scr. Tarik Saleh) Emily the Criminal (USA, dir.scr. John Patton Ford) Faraaz (India, dir. Hansal Mehta) The Good Nurse (USA, dir. Tobias Lindholm) L’Origine du mal (France-Canada, dir. Sébastien Marnier) Señorita 89 (Mexico, dir. Lucía Puenzo, Nicolás Puenzo, Jimena Montemayor, Sílvia Quer) A Spy Among Friends (UK, dir. Nick Murphy) The Stranger (Australia, dir.scr. Thomas M. Wright) The Woman in the White Car (South Korea, dir. Christine Ko) Cult Attachment (Denmark, dir.scr. Gabriel Bier Gislason) The Kingdom Exodus (Denmark, dir. Lars Von Trier) Linoleum (USA, dir.scr. Colin West) New Normal (South Korea, dir.scr. Jung Bum-Shik) The Nightmare (Norway, dir.scr. Kjersti Helen Rasmussen) The Origin (UK, dir. Andrew Cumming) Unicorn Wars (Spain-France, dir. Alberto Vázquez) You Won’t Be Alone (Australia, dir.scr. Goran Stolevski) Journey After Sherman (USA, dir.scr. Jon-Sesrie Goff) Aisha (Ireland, dir.scr. Frank Berry) Alcarràs (Spain-Italy, dir. Carla Simón) Autobiography (Indonesia-France-Singapore-Poland-Philippines-Germany-Qatar, dir.scr. Makbul Mubarak) Crows Are White (USA, dir. Ahsen Nadeem) The Girl from Tomorrow (Italy-France, dir.scr. Marta Savina) High School (USA-Canada, dir. Clea Duvall) Know Your Place (USA, dir.scr. Zia Mohajerjasbi) Liquor Store Dreams (USA, dir. So Yun Um) Nayola (Portugal-Belgium-France-Netherlands, dir. José Miguel Ribeiro) The Passengers of the Night (France, dir. Mikhaël Hers) Shabu (Netherlands, dir.scr. Shamira Raphaëla) Small, Slow but Steady (Japan-France, dir. Shô Miyake) Summer with Hope (Canada-Iran, dir. Sadaf Foroughi) Super Eagles ’96 (UK-Nigeria, dir.scr. Yemi Bamiro) Under the Fig Trees (Tunisia-France-Switzerland-Germany-Qatar, dir. Erige Sehiri) Utama (Bolivia-Uruguay-France, dir.scr. Alejandro Loayza Grisi) Create The African Desperate (USA, dir. Martine Syms) Creature (UK, dir. Asif Kapadia) Fragments of Paradise (USA, dir. Kd Davison) Geographies of Solitude (Canada, dir. Jacquelyn Mills) Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande (UK, dir. Tim Mackenzie-Smith) God Said Give ‘em Drum Machines (USA, dir. Kristian R Hill) Leonora Addio (Italy, dir.scr. Paolo Taviani) Meet Me in the Bathroom (UK, dir. Dylan Southern, Will Lovelace) Peter Von Kant (France-Belgium, dir. François Ozon) Self Portrait as a Coffee Pot (South Africa-USA, dir. William Kentridge) Where Is This Street? Or With No Before And After (Portugal-France, dir. João Pedro Rodrigues, João Rui Guerra Da Mata) The Worst Ones (France, dir. Lise Akoka, Romane Gueret) Experimenta 100 Ways to Cross the Border (USA-Mexico, dir. Amber Bay Bemak) Becoming Plant (UK-Denmark, Norway, dir. Grace Ndiritu) Qualities of Life: Living in the Radiant Cold (Germany, dir.-prod.-scr. James Richards) The Blue Rose of Forgetfulness (USA, dir.-prod. Lewis Klahr) Roary (UK, dir. Director David Leister) Staging Death (Austria-Germany, dir. Jan Soldat) Jill, Uncredited (Canada-UK, dir. Anthony Ing) Blind Yellow Sunshine (UK, dir.scr.-prod. Adonia Boucherhri) Herbaria (Argentina-Germany, dir.scr. Leandro Listorti) Seaweed (UK, dir. Julia Parks) The United States of America (USA, dir. James Benning) Patent 1,571,148 (USA, dir. Kevin Jerome Everson) Transparent (UK, dir. Siobhan Davies) Aribada (Colombia-Germany, dir.-prod. Simon(E) Jaikiriuma Paetau, Natalia Escobar) The Severed Tail (Germany, dir.scr. Marianna Simnet) I’ll Be Back (UK, dir. Hope Strickland) Chuu Chuu (USA, dir.scr.-prod. Mackie Mallison) Downstream (UK, dir.-prod. Adam Kossoff) Vision of Paradise (Brazil-USA, dir.scr.-prod. Leonardo Pirondi) The Ocean Analog (Spain-Mexico, dir. Luis Macias) Sappukei (Taiwan, dir. Chun Wang, Hikky Chen) A Sod State (Ireland-Netherlands, dir.-prod. Eoghan Ryan) 45th Parallel (UK, dir.scr. Lawrence Abu Hamdan) Chants from a Holy Book (Brazil, dir.-prod.-scr. Cesar Gananian, Cassiana Der Haroutiounian) Takbir (Italy-Afghanistan, dir.scr. Aziz Hazara) As If No Misfortune Had Occurred in the Night (UK-Denmark, dir. Larissa Sansour, Soren Lind) Shorts Flowers (UK, dir.scr. Dumas Haddad) I Have No Legs, and I Must Run (China, dir.scr. Yue Li) In Light (Bulgaria-France-Italy, dir. Alice Fassi) Nant (UK, dir.scr. Tom Chetwode-Barton) Bird in the Peninsula (France-Japan, dir.scr. Atsushi Wada) Bucket in the Forest (Australia, dir.scr. Blaise Borrer) Frontier (Ukraine, dir.-prod.-scr. Tymofii Biniukov) The Ritual to Beauty (USA, dir. Maria Marrone, Shenny De Los Angeles) Skyward (UK, dir. Jessica Bishopp) Silence (UK, dir. Arnas Pigulevicius) Blue Room (USA, dir.-prod. Merete Mueller) Forest Coal Pit (UK, dir.scr. Siôn Marshall-Waters) It’s Raining Frogs Outside (Philippines, dir.scr. Maria Estela Paiso) Haulout (UK, dir.-prod.-scr. Evgenia Arbugaeva, Maxim Arbugaev) Tria (Italy, dir.scr. Giulia Grandinetti) Birds (USA, dir.scr. Katherine Propper) Groom (UK, dir.scr. Leyla Coll-O’reilly) Back to Scholl (UK, dir. Tyro Heath) The Dependent Variables (Italy, dir. Lorenzo Tardella) Yung Michal (Czech Republic, dir. Štěpán Fok Vodrážka) My Year of Dicks (USA-Iceland, dir. Sara Gunnarsdóttir) Honey (India, dir. Tanmay Chowdhary, Tanvi Chowdhary) Outdoors (UK, dir. John Fitzpatrick) Rosemary A.D. (After Dad) (USA, dir.scr. Ethan Barrett) An Avocado Pit (Portugal, dir.scr. Ary Zara) Curiosa (UK, dir. Tessa Moult-Milewska) The Pass (USA, dir.scr. Pepi Ginsberg) Checoslovaquia (Peru, dir.scr. Dennis Perinango) Platform (Germany, dir.scr. Steffen Köhn, Johannes Büttner) Mono No Aware (USA, dir.-prod. Quinton Kienow Dominguez) Moshari (Bangladesh, dir.scr. Nuhash Humayun) File (Iran, dir. Sonia K. Hadad) Mars (UK, dir. Abel Rubinstein) The Riley Sisters (UK-Canada, dir. Julia Jackman) For Heidi (UK, dir.scr. Lucy Campbell) Surpri-! (UK, dir.scr. Rory D. Bentley) Drop Out (UK, dir. Ade Femzo) Pram Snatcher (UK, dir.scr. Theo James Krekis) Mab Hudel (UK, dir.scr. Edward Rowe) The Debutante (UK, dir.scr. Elizabeth Hobbs) Spinning (UK, dir. Sam Spruell) My Eyes Are Up Here (UK, dir. Nathan Morris) Sticks of Fury (UK, dir. Yuan Hu) Expanded All Unsaved Progress Will Be Lost (France, Lead artist: Mélanie Courtinat) Apparatus Ludens (UK-Sweden, Lead artist: Untold Garden) As Mine Exactly (UK, Lead artist: Charlie Shackleton) Black Movement Library — Movement Portraits (USA, Lead artist: Lajuné Mcmillian) The Choice (Canada-Poland, Lead artist: Joanne Popinska) Digital Motions (Germany, Lead artists — Helge Letonja, Marcel Karnapke, Björn Lengers, Anke Euler, Music Florian Tippe) Framerate: Pulse of the Earth (UK, Lead artists — Matthew Shaw, William Trossell, Scanlab Projects) Haunted Hotel: A Melodrama in Augmented Reality (Germany, Lead artist: Guy Maddin) The Infinite Library (India-Germany-Czech Republic, Lead artist: Mika Johnson) In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats (UK, Lead artist – Darren Emerson) Intravene (UK-Canada, Lead artists – Darkfield, Crackdown, Brenda Longfellow) The Last Time I Saw Snow (UK, Lead artists — Isobel Mascarenhas-Whitman, Alex Tennyson) Line of Contact (Netherlands-UK-Ukraine, Lead artist – Dani Ploeger) A Mighty Mass Emerges (Switzerland-France-Italy, Lead artist: Wu Tsang) Missing Pictures Episode 3: The Monkey Wrench Gang (France-UK-Taiwan-Luxembourg-South Korea, Lead artist – Clément Deneux, With – Catherine Hardwicke) Monoliths (UK, Lead artists — Lucy Hammond, Hannah Davies, Asma Elbadawi, Carmen Marcus) On the Morning You Wake (To the End of the World) (UK-France-USA, Lead artists — Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, Mike Brett, Steve Jamison, Arnaud Colinart, Pierre Zandrowicz) Pan + Tilt (UK, Lead artists — Ruth Gibson, Bruno Martelli) Planet City (USA-China, Lead artists — L Liam Young, Kayvan Boudai, Elliot Ordower, James Clark) Walzer (The Netherlands, Lead artists — Frieda Gustavs, Leo Erken) Family The Black Pharaoh, the Savage and the Princess (France, dir.scr. Michel Ocelot) Mini-Zlatan and Uncle Darling (Sweden-Norway, dir. Christian Lo) My Father’s Dragon (Ireland, dir. Nora Twomey) My Robot Brother (Denmark, dir.scr. Frederik Nørgaard) Neneh Superstar (France, dir.scr. Ramzi Ben Sliman) Suzie in the Garden (Czechia-Slovakia, dir.scr. Lucie Sunková) I’m Not Afraid (Germany-Norway, dir.scr. Marita Mayer) Aeronaut (Netherlands, dir.scr. Leon Golterman) Bellysaurus (Australia, dir.-prod.-scr. Philip Watts) Zootropolis + “Godfather of the Bride” (USA, dir. Josie Trinidad, Trent Correy) Bristles (Netherlands, dir.scr. Quentin Haberham) Hush, Hush, Little Bear (Latvia, dir.scr. Māra Liniņa) Mr. Spam Gets a New Hat (UK, dir.scr. William Joyce) Hello to Me in 100 Years (Taiwan, dir.scr. Wu-Ching Chang) Treasures All That Money Can Buy (USA, dir.-prod. William Dieterle) The Circus Tent (India, dir.scr. Aravindan Govindan) Contras’ City / Badou Boy (Senegal, dir. Djibril Diop Mambéty) Eight Deadly Shots (Finland, dir.-prod.-scr. Mikko Niskanen) Foolish Wives (USA, dir.scr. Erich Von Stroheim) Kamikaze Hearts (USA, dir. Juliet Bashore) The Passion of Remembrance (UK, dir.scr. Maureen Blackwood, Isaac Julien) The Queen of Spades (UK, dir. Thorold Dickinson) Sponsors and funders We are delighted to welcome back our Principal Partner, American Express, with this year marking an extraordinary 13 years of partnership. Their support makes the festival possible, as does that of the UK Government, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and the National Lottery. Our heartfelt thanks also go to returning partners American Airlines as Main Sponsor and Official Airline Partner, and to our official Hotel Partner, The Londoner, as well as Main Funding Contributors the Mayor of London and Film London. We are also delighted to warmly welcome back our sponsors Bloomberg Philanthropies and Netflix. A huge thank you goes to the festival’s generous in-kind sponsors: Christie’s, Dalston’s Soda, Fourpure, Global, Getty Images and Ocean Outdoors. Festival venue partners LFF partner venues around the UK include: London BFI Southbank Curzon Soho (Screen 1, 2 and 3) Curzon Mayfair (Screen 1) Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) LFF Expanded at 26 Leake Street LFF Expanded at the National Theatre ODEON Luxe West End (Screen 1 and 2) – Londoner Hotel Prince Charles Cinema The Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall UK-wide HOME, Manchester Watershed, Bristol Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow Broadway, Nottingham Showroom Cinema, Sheffield Queen’s Film Theatre, Belfast Chapter, Cardiff Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham Edinburgh Filmhouse Additional screenings on selected titles may also be added during the festival window at other venues. These are at the discretion of the distributor and will be signposted on the festival website where added. The 66th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express takes place from Wednesday 5 October to Sunday 16 October 2022.

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    Life Is an Expression. LIE SS23 presented in partnership with TRANOÏ at PFW LIE is a modern women's lifestyle brand with a bold but structural design. Through the combination of bold colors and soft lines, it displays a sensual silhouette, creating a dynamic but romantic collection. LIE's uniqueness has been acclaimed by domestic and overseas media, buyers, and officials in the fashion industry. LIE is receiving much love from various customers and media around the world, after taking part in the Seoul, New York, Paris, and London Fashion Week. It has also established in 60 department and luxury select stores in the USA, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, China, and Singapore, etc. including its Cheongdam-dong store. LIE's 23 SS designer explains, began with Massimo Vitali beautiful photo of a Mediterranean beach. The organic curves and the colors of blue, red, and sand from the panorama photos where nature and humans exist in harmony infused it with powerful energy and inspiration.

  • Hong Kong Watches Autumn Auctions

    Christie’s Hong Kong presents three significant sales this Autumn, featuring the final two parts of The Champion Collection, as well as some of the world’s most complicated watches and Métiers d’Art masterpieces. On 27 November, the Live Sale of ‘The Champion Collection Part VI: The Finest Watchmaking’ will feature 82 lots; the same day Christie’s will also present 223 Important Watches featuring the astonishing Triazza Collection Part I, which encompasses some of the rarest and most sublime timepieces from Patek Philippe. An Online Sale will first be held from 24 November to 7 December, introducing Part V of The Champion Collection, entitled ‘The Panerai Encyclopedia - Final Chapter’. THE CHAMPION COLLECTION PART VI: ‘THE FINEST WATCHMAKING’ The sixth auction from The Champion Collection, entitled ‘The Finest Watchmaking’, offers collectors a cornucopia of stunning examples of the watchmaker’s art. Patek Philippe Lot 2282 - Patek Philippe Ref. 5208P. An important and highly complicated platinum automatic minute repeating instantaneous perpetual calendar single button chronograph wristwatch with moon phases, leap year and day/night indication. Circa 2014. (Est: HK$5,500,000-11,000,000) Alexandre Bigler, Vice-President & Head of Watches Christie’s Asia Pacific, shared: “‘The Finest Watchmaking’, our live sale on November 27th, opens another stunning chapter in the story of The Champion Collection that began unfolding at Christies Hong Kong in November 2021. Brilliant cloisonné dial ‘Métiers d’Art’ masterpieces by Patek Philippe, rare and highly complicated wristwatches by Lange & Söhne and Greubel Forsey, a breath-taking full set of four of Vacheron Constantin’s first series ‘Tribal Masks’… works of watchmaking art in pristine condition with the most prestigious provenances that collectors have dreamed of are reality. ‘The Finest Watchmaking’ promises to keep the momentum up in the series of record-setting sales which have already made horological history.” Métiers d’Art masterpieces: Vacheron Constantin’s “Tribal Mask” set Christie’s presents one of the extremely rare full set of four from the 2007 first series Métiers d’Art “Tribal Mask” wristwatches. One of the highlights of the ‘Champion Collection’, these spectacular creations are considered to be great works of art, the masks are entirely hand-made by craftsmen of the highest caliber working with precious materials. The finish of the gold masks has been captured in amazing detail and faithfully reproduces the original full-size masks that served as models. The outstanding watchmaking skills of Vacheron Constantin transform the Tribal Mask watches into wearable masterpieces of outstanding beauty. Only 25 highly exclusive sets were made worldwide in 2007, further sets of four watches were also produced for the years 2008 and 2009. Each set features four different masks so that, over those three years, a total of 12 watches were produced. As exciting as it is noteworthy, as one of the world’s greatest watch collectors, the owner of The Champion Collection acquired one of each of the three complete sets of four. Starting with the 2007 set offered in this auction, the sets made in 2008 and 2009 will follow in future sales. (Each mask is sold as an individual piece). Lot 2250 - From the Vacheron Constantin Les Masques collection, an impressive and extremely rare 18k white gold limited edition automatic wristwatch with day, date and 18k gold hand engraved micro sculpture of an Alaska antique mask from the Barbier-Muller Museum. Circa 2008. (Est: HK$375,000-750,000) Lot 2249 - From the Vacheron Constantin Les Masques collection, an impressive and extremely rare 18k pink gold limited edition automatic wristwatch with day, date and 18k gold hand engraved micro sculpture of an Indonesia antique mask from the Barbier-Muller Museum. Circa 2008. (Est: HK$375,000-750,000) Lot 2248 - Above: From the Vacheron Constantin Les Masques collection, an impressive and extremely rare 18k gold limited edition automatic wristwatch with day, date and 18k gold hand engraved micro sculpture of a China antique mask from the Barbier-Muller Museum. Circa 2008. (Est: HK$375,000-750,000) Lot 2251 - From the Vacheron Constantin Les Masques collection, an impressive extremely rare platinum limited edition automatic wristwatch with day, date and 18k gold hand engraved micro sculpture of a Congo antique mask from the Barbier-Muller Museum. Circa 2008. (Est: HK$375,000-750,000) Enamel wonders Lot 2258 - Patek Philippe Ref. 7131/175R. A magnificent and extremely rare limited edition ladies’ 18k pink gold and diamond-set automatic world time wristwatch with cloisonné enamel dial featuring the Geneva harbour, made to commemorate the 175th anniversary of Patek Philippe. Circa 2015. (Est: HK$1,000,000-2,000,000) Lot 2263 - Patek Philippe Ref 5077/100R-033. A rare 18k pink gold and diamond set wristwatch with cloisonné enamel dial featuring a view of Tuscany. Circa 2018. (Est: HK$700,000-1,400,000) Lot 2247 - Jaeger Le-Coultre Reverso à Éclipse ‘Famous Nudes’. A magnificent and extremely rare platinum reversible wristwatch with enamel dial depicting the Turkish Bath by Jean Auguste-Dominique Ingres. (Est: HK$300,000-600,000) Lot 2246 - Jaeger Le-Coultre Reverso à Éclipse ‘Famous Nudes’. An extremely rare platinum reversible wristwatch with enamel dial depicting Primavera by Botticelli. (Est: HK$300,000-600,000) IMPORTANT WATCHES FEATURING THE TRIAZZA COLLECTION PART I Patek Philippe collectors often imagine the watches that would be included in their dream collection, however few manage to obtain them. The Triazza Collection is indeed a dream Patek Philippe collection, an incredible grouping that is not only testament to the taste and discernment of its present owner, but also one where each individual watch has been carefully chosen for its rarity, condition, beauty and provenance. Lot 2519 - A unique yellow gold Ref. 5004J-017 with Certificate of Origin-confirmed stunning black monogram dial, luminous indexes and luminous hands and white tachymeter scale, made as a bespoke commission for the remarkable American collector Michael Steven Ovitz. (Est: HK$5,000,000-10,000,000) Lot 2520 - Ref. 1415 Heures Universelles. (Est: HK$1,500,000-3,000,000) Lot 2522 - The Esmond Bradley Martin Ref. 605 HU cloisonné dial ‘North America’. (Est: HK$7,000,000-14,000,000) Lot 2521 - Geneva Observatory 1st Prize winning tourbillon, possibly unique in retaining both its original gold case and white enamel Breguet numeral dial and, in addition, its original antimagnetic observatory contest case and original contest silver sector dial. (Est: HK$5,500,000-11,000,000)

  • Studio 54: the ultimate temple of hedonism

    By Carlos Mundy Liz Taylor, Halston and Bianca Jagger (source Pinterest) I arrived in New York for the first time in my life at the end of September 1978 on my first stop of a year-long round-the-world trip. I was 22 years old and starting a year of adventure. I had friends in the Big Apple among whom were the Spanish designer Juanjo Rocafort who lived in a spectacular penthouse in the Olympic Tower on 5th Avenue, the designer Mimi Trujillos who was a close friend of Andy Warhol, Irma Rolon and some other key figures of the New York scene of those fabulous years at the end of the 70s. Grace Jones (Pinterest) THE DIVINE CARMEN The passage of time has made me not remember clearly how I met Carmen D'Alessio, but it was in the first days of my arrival in New York. Thanks to her, the doors of the mythical Studio 54 were opened to me and I spent every night there in October 1978. I will never forget the memories of that month of absolute disinhibition because I was a participant witness of the history of New York. Of an era that will never return. An unrepeatable era. Carmen D'Alessio birthday coming out of the cake dressed by Norma Kamali. It is quite possible, dear readers, that you do not know who Carmen D'Alessio is. Let me introduce her to you. I assure you that you will be delighted to meet her. Carmen was born in Lima and has been a New York night czarina for decades. Her reputation for public relations knows no bounds, thanks to her ability to summon celebrities and financiers and surround them with beautiful people. Carmen is an alchemist who knows the exact formula for creating unrepeatable atmospheres. She is an exceptional woman with a captivating smile. Her overwhelming personality captivates everyone who has the honour of meeting her and her strength and energy are indescribable. She was unquestionably the brains behind Studio 54. She is part of the living history of an unrepeatable era in New York. Carmen D'Alessio photographed by Bill King The divine Carmen knew Steve Rubell and Ian Shrager from the suburbs across the Hudson River and brought them to Manhattan. She was the one who found the old theatre converted from a former CBS television studio at 254 West 54th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue) and convinced them to rent it. For the pre-opening dinner, she bought them both Armani suits at Barneys and introduced them to Andy Warhol and designers Halston and Calvin Klein. The rest is history. THE TEMPLE OF HEDONISM Carmen put Studio on the map by throwing the most extraordinary parties, such as the one where Bianca Jagger celebrated her 30th birthday by riding into the room on a white horse, Valentino played a circus tamer with live animals and Armani was honoured with a ballet of drag queens. Carmen knew very well that celebrities are not always rich and that the rich are not always handsome or fabulous, but when you put rich, famous and handsome in the same big room you create magic and people are fascinated by magic. That was the big secret to the success of Studio 54 where people danced and cavorted under the iconic coke-snorting crescent moon sculpture. Without counting the bacchanalian parties of the Greeks or Romans, I don't think there has ever been or ever will be a freer place than Studio 54. Steve Rubell and Bianca Jagger (Pinterest) To Studio 54 went from Salvador Dali, Betty Ford, John Travolta, John Lennon with Yoko Ono, Bianca Jagger, Marisa Berenson, Liza Minelli, Michael Jackson, Arnold Schwazzeneger, Jacqueline Bisset, Jackie Kennedy, Princess Grace of Monaco, Liz Taylor, Robert Redford, Carrie Fisher, Mary Taylor-Moore, Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, Lauren Hutton, Madonna, Princes Egon and Diane von Furstenberg, Truman Capote, Keith Richards, Sylvester Stallone, John Travolta, Margaret Trudeau, David Bowie, Elton John, Elio Fiorucci, Cher, Deborah Harris, Alana and Rod Stewart, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, John McEnroe, Halston, Andy Warhol, Calvin Klein, Rudolf Nureyev, Barbara Streisand and even Donald Trump among many, many other celebrities from all over the world. Once you crossed the threshold of the door and passed through what was known as the Corridor of Joy where the cloakroom was located and which was the anteroom to the dance floor, the rules ceased to exist. Freedom was total and absolute, and one could give free rein to all passions and fantasies without limits. European aristocrats, Hollywood stars, financiers, politicians, pop stars, designers, models, and athletes mingled with Jersey mechanics, Bronx waiters and Harlem students. Those from Jersey, the Bronx or Harlem were only asked to do one thing, and that was to be good looking. Once inside, everyone was treated equally. There was no obsession with celebrity. Not once did I see anyone in Studio 54 ask for an autograph. Every night was magical and full of surprises, including live performances by divas such as Grace Jones, Donna Summers, Amy Stewart, Diana Ross, Thelma Houston, and Gloria Gaynor. The story goes that on the opening day on 26 April 1977, a huge crowd of people crowded outside the club in the hope of gaining entry to what would later become the global epicentre of disco madness and the most famous nightclub on the planet. For 33 months, Studio 54 reigned alone as the world's most famous discotheque: the Olympus of the Golden Age. By the time I met Studio 54 it had already become the statue of debauchery. Every night the who's who of the beau monde gathered there, and if your name wasn't on the list, it didn't matter who you were, as entry depended solely on the mood of Marc Bennecke, the doorman who was one of the most powerful people in New York nightlife. People would offer him anything to be let in, but they never got in. Also, Steve Rubell would regularly show up at the door to give his blessing to whomever he pleased at the time. More than one celebrity was refused entry! Rumour has it that Warren Beatty was refused entry one night and it is known that this was the case with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards who went home that night in a huff and composed the famous song "Le Freak"! Andy Warhol said: "The door is a real dictatorship, and the dance floor is a democracy! Steve Rubell and friends. Source all images Pinterest Bob Colacello, the editor of Andy Warhol's legendary magazine, Interview, published an interview with Steve Rubell in which he said: "He's bisexual. Very bisexual. Very, very, very, very bisexual. And that's how we choose the people who come in. In other words, we want people to have a great time and be very beautiful." Among the people I hung out with virtually every night of the month I spent in New York were Rollerina, a gentleman dressed as a fairy with a magic wand who was on roller skates and was said to be a top Wall Street financier by day; and a lovely eighty-year-old grandmother they called Disco Sally who danced and danced and danced until she died on the dance floor one night. Nights at Studio were the height of performance art where it was foggy, windy, and snowy. The sun rose and set inside the club, literally experiencing the sunrise and sunset! Rollerina Steve Rubell was, along with Carmen, the heart and soul of Studio. During the three years of the dream, Carmen organised the extraordinary parties and Steve, the great showman, directed the performance. And the two of them were the perfect masters of ceremonies. They were a perfect team. There was a theatrical quality to Studio 54 that club goers had never seen before as it appealed to all the senses, and you were always left wanting more. For the month I went every night I recognised people doing the same thing. Studio 54 itself was like a drug. You needed to be there, and you never got tired of it, you just needed more. LUST AND DEBAUCHERY In the upper boxes of what was once the theatre, people disappeared into the darkness, and I leave it to the readers' imagination what happened. I only add that Studio was known as the Palace of Bacchanals for a reason! And for the VIPS there was the basement, a small ramshackle space with low ceilings where you could indulge your every desire without worrying about prying eyes. I was invited down to the basement one night by Steve Rubell and I'll cherish those memories! We were all young and cool! On the dance floor poppers were snorted to enhance the dance experience, the trendy pills of the moment called Quaaludes were taken and of course most of the audience had access to the best coke! In the lounge the gorgeous waiters were all Adonis selected for their beauty by Steve himself and all were bare-chested as part of the visceral spectacle. One of them was a very young Alec Baldwin. EPILOGUE Every dream comes to an end and Studio 54 couldn't last forever. After three epic years Steve Rubell and Ian Shrager were accused of tax evasion and illegal cocaine sales and after a media trial were sentenced to three and a half years and sent to prison. It was the end of the temple of hedonism and the disco era. On 4 February 1980 Steve and Ian's Studio 54 closed with one last party, "The End of Gomorrah of the Modern Era," hosted by Steve, Carmen, and Ian. The party was held two days before the couple went to prison where they would spend a year and a half and Diana Ross took to the DJ booth where she sang to the delight of the 2000 guests. 7-year-old Drew Barrymore After their release from prison on April 17, 1981, they opened the Morgan Hotel on Madison Avenue. Ian Shrager became a successful hotelier. Steve Rubell and Peter Gatien later opened the Palladium, a large nightclub famous for exhibiting artwork by Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol, which became the centre of New York nightlife in the 1980s. Steve Rubell died of AIDS-related causes in 1989. Donald Trump and all the Studio 54 faithful attended his funeral. THE LEGEND LIVES ON In 1998, Miramax released the film 54, directed by Mark Christopher: a sweetened and superficial vision with 45 minutes cut from the gay theme (an essential part of what Studio! was all about). As one critic once said, "downplaying the gay aspect of a film about Studio 54 is like downplaying Hinduism in a film about India". Mark Christopher had the opportunity to present his director's cut at the Berlin Film Festival in 2015 to great critical acclaim. At last, the film did justice. Last year saw the release of an interesting documentary "Studio 54" directed by Matt Tyrnauer and available on Amazon Prime more focused on Schrager's greed than Bianca Jagger on the back of the white horse and other extraordinary moments from the famous parties that created the 54 legend. Unfortunately, this documentary makes virtually no mention of Carmen's role. A serious and unjust mistake. Recently, the Brooklyn Museum in New York had an exhibition Studio 54: Night Magic that was last summer’s success in the Big Apple. Although Studio 54 remained open until 1986, it was never the same. It closed its doors forever in full decadence but its legend will always live on because it is part of the history of a generation.

  • Begum Khan's Soiree in Paris

    Manuel Arnaut & Begüm Kiroglu. All images: ©Francois Goize Louise Ebel Pandora Sylvia Toledano Benjamin Belin

  • DEBRA FRANSES’ ARTBAG EXHIBITION IN DUBAI

    When Chimere Cisse from Art Korero invited me to the opening of an exhibition of British artist Debra Franses titled ARTBAG I thought I would attend a presentation of beautiful handbags designed by an artist, but I was in for a very pleasant surprise. By Carlos Mundy ARTBAG is the passionate creation of a 21st century graduate of London’s art and fashion Central Saint Martin’s College. In 2003, Debra adapted an expensive designer handbag (Hermes’ Birkin and Louis Vuitton’s Port Documents) and created her first casts. The design lives on to this day and can be found in major art collections around the world. Left to right: Athanasios Belitsas, Debra Franses and Carlos Mundy in Dubai. When confronted by an ARTBAG you are seeing a moment in time where seemingly random objects float motionless encases in a transparent resin shaped like a handbag. The handbag has become Debra Franses canvas and the medium to express her unique style and aesthetics of intimacy. Debra acknowledges that every bag is a distillation of who she has met, where she has been and what she has seen in the world. As Debra explains, ‘…all interactions leave a trace in me which inspire my work’. Every ARTBAG has a title, and these are equally as intriguing: ranging from a single, punchy word through to smart, thought-provoking statements which brand and define the ARTBAG. Spanning luxury and familiarity, the elements held in each bag combine comfort, prestige, and style. Resin encapsulation gives the chosen items a visually intensified presence, with the anticipation of their consumption forever suspended in time, never to be realised. Glitterati The artist also works by commission. The collector can choose the objects that have a great meaning to them and work with Debra to include in their chosen bag. This is indeed unique and the result is a very personal work of art. The Godfather The exhibition at the magnificent space of That Concept Store at Emirates Mall opened on the 5th of October to great public and critical acclaim and will be open during the whole month of October. Since 2004, Debra Franses works of art have been exhibited around the world and her pieces are in some of the most important collections. I invite all our readers that if they are in Dubai during the month of October, this is a must-see exhibition. Please visit the artist’s website artbagstudio.com/ The Golden Handshake The Face With Grazie The Tribute to David Bowie, (with previously unseen images from Denis Oregan).

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