Down at the Tribeca and Soho Grand Hotels, the Cinema Society and Zenith Watches hosted a special screening of “Flags of Our Fathers,” the latest film of Clint Eastwood. As we’ve come to expect from the Cinema Society’s screenings, the glitterati turned out in full star-force.
The two-time Oscar winner has produced a powerful and beautiful film, co-written by another two-time Oscar winner Paul Haggis, about a man who attempts to uncover the role his father played in the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima during World War II — the photograph which became one of the most iconic images in history. It became a symbol of victory to a nation that had grown weary of war, making instant heroes of the six American soldiers at the base of the flag.
The film’s stars Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Barry Pepper, John Slattery, John Benjamin Hickey, and Joseph Cross were all on hand for the celeb-filled screening and dinner. The cast was inundated by the enthusiasm and raves of the stellar crowd brought together by Cinema Society Founder Andrew Saffir.
Among those at the screening and supper following at the Penthouse of the Soho Grand, were Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lauren Bacall, Rosario Dawson, Aidan Quinn, Elizabeth Banks, Erika Christensen, Olivia Wilde, Barry Diller, Diane Kruger, Joshua Jackson, Donna Karan, Padma Lakshmi, Carolyn Murphy, Dana Delany, Johnny Galecki, Alex Lundqvist — I mean, can you stand it? — also Sandy Gallin, Amy Sacco, Marina Rust, Anh Duong, Damon Dash and Rachel Roy, Beth Ostrosky, Irina Pantaeva, Lydia Hearst, Michael Patrick King, Marjorie Gubelmann Raein, Annelise Peterson, Daniel Benedict, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Bettina Zilkha, Gabby Karan and Gianpaolo de Felice, Allison Sarofim, and Zenith North America President Paul Ziff. To the surprise of no one, the film is a serious contender for this year’s Oscars.
Anh Duong
Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos
Allison Sarofim
Bettina Zilkha
Carolyn Murphy
Beth Ostrosky
Alex Lundqvist
Dana Delany
Jesse Bradford
John Slattery
Lydia Hearst
Laura Linney
Aidan Quinn
Damon Dash and Rachel Roy
Erika Christensen
Elizabeth Banks
Irina Pantaeva
Olivia Wilde
Marjorie Gubelmann
Marina Rust Connor
Gianpaolo de Felice and Gabby Karan de Felice
Joseph Cross
Johnny Galecki
Lauren Bacall
Paul Ziff (President, Zenith North America)
Stefano Tonchi
L. to r.: Diane Kruger and Josh Jackson; Johannes Huebl and Daniel Benedict; Reese Witherspoon.
Douglas Friedman and Annelise Peterson
Donna Karan
Amy Sacco and Andrew Saffir
Sarah Jessica Parker and John Benjamin Hickey
For love of opera, Luca Luca hosted a brunch and a fashion show of its Sping Summer 2007 Collection to celebrate New York City Opera’s Hansel and Gretel Family Benefit. Yildiz Blackstone and her fellow chairs – Princess Alexandra of Greece, Caroline Cronson, Olivia Flatto, Karen Kennedy MD, Alison Levasseur, Kara Unterberg, Ashley von Perfall invited their friends to join them. Among the crowd: Celeste Boele, Gillian Miniter, Laura Koch, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Andrea Greeven Douzet, Alison Niederauer, Susan Krysciewicz, Laura Ash, Rachel Roy, Alicia Benoist, Charlotte Pinson, Kate Furman Pasik, Kate Peck, Jill Friendland, Mrs. Peter Ezersky, Helene Alexopoulos, Mrs. Fouad Chartouni, Julie Dannenberg, Lisa Lori, and Marie-Noelle Pierce.
The actual City Opera Family Benefit will be held on Saturday, November 18 and will be a fun, fantastic, not-to-miss opportunity to introduce children to the wonderful world of opera. This year, the afternoon will begin with a performance of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel. Set in turn-of-the-century New York City, the children get lost in frightening Central Park instead of a forest, and are ensnared by a witch who drips with ropes of diamonds and lives in a Fifth Avenue Mansion.
The performance will be followed by a family party for both the young and young-at-heart. All proceeds from the Family Benefit support New York City Opera’s award-winning Education programs serving over 9,000 New York City public school children each year.
Alison Levasseur, Ashley von Perfall, and Kara Unterberg
Charlotte Pinston and Marie Noelle Pierce
Dina Deluca Chartouni and Olivia Flatto
Olivia Flatto, Alison Levasseur, Yildiz Blackstone, Ashley von Perfall, and Kara Unterberg
Sarah Denton, Dr. Susan Krysiewicz, and Yildiz Blackstone
Yildiz Blackstone and Kate Peck
Aylin Brenna and Kate Peck
Marie Noelle Pierce and Ashley von Perfall
Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos
L. to r.: Susan Baker and Olivia Flatto; Kate Peck and Sarah Denton.
The American-Scottish Foundation celebrated its 50th Anniversary with the Wallace Award dinner honoring Euan Baird for his contributions to Scottish/American Relations a couple of weeks ago at the University Club. Alan L. Bain, President of the organization presented the award.
A prominent figure on the international business scene for over four decades with Schlumberger Ltd., Mr. Baird served as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 1986 to 2003. In addition he held the position of non-executive Chairman of Rolls-Royce plc. from 2002 to 2004.He serves on the boards of ScottishPower plc, Société Générale Group and Areva is a trustee of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, a member of the French Prime Minister’s Comité National de la Science and of the UK Prime Minister’s Council of Science and Technology.
Throughout his illustrious career, the Aberdeen, Scotland native has worked toward the expansion of cultural and business relationship between Scotland and the United States.
The evening benefited collaborative educational and cultural programs between Scottish and American organizations. The important and wonderfully diverse contributions of the Scottish and those of Scottish descent are reflected in the Wallace Award® recipients: Senator Trent Lott, Sir Sean Connery, Television producers and philanthropists Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Taffner, Sr., Academy award winning actor Cliff Robertson, Empress of Fashion Diana Vreeland, journalist James Reston, Justice Potter Stewart, U.S. Supreme Court, painter Robert Motherwell, authors Helen MacInnes and Archibald MacLeish and Nobel Prize Winner Linus C. Pauling.
Gala co-chairs were Mrs. Stanley DeForest Scott and Eleanor Taffner. Gala Committee included Mr. Bain,Heather L. Bain, Dr. Malcolm J. Duncan, Robert Fletcher, Margaret R. K. Kennedy, Linda Lees, David C. Speedie and Dr. James F. Winchester.
Euan Baird with Mike and Mary Wallace
Euan Baird, Brooks Buxton, Angelica Baird, and Alan Bain
Roddy Gow and Heather Bain
Stuart MacLean, John Henderson, and Michael Kellet
James Motherwell
Craig Colvil and Alice Wood
Nan Chisholm and Christoper Gow
Conrad Keesee and Irene Aitken
April Gow, Sohini Misser, and Laurence Cousin
Heather Bain in Original
Joyce Young Designer Tartan gown
Elizabeth and Stanley Scott with Linda Bain
Rev. J. Barrie Shephard and Jim Motherwell
Dr. Eric von Ibler, Paul Han, Cigdem Balim, Alasdair Hutton , and Jack Miller
