Chanel hosted its 15th annual Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner on Monday night in New York City.
“This festival and Chanel’s support of it couldn’t be more important at this moment in time, particularly for so many artists and so many women filmmakers,” Judith Light told Variety on the red carpet about the event’s in-person New York City return from a two-year pandemic pause.
“Here we are with a level of diversity and inclusivity that is bringing us all back together just like Tribeca did after 9/11,” she continued.
The summer night blossomed inside the elegant soirée at tony Balthazar where the well-heeled of Hollywood and the art world came to celebrate artists who contributed original artworks to the festival’s award-winning filmmakers.
Penélope Cruz shared her own grateful enthusiasm for being at the film festival event on the heels of her U.S. premiere of “Official Competition,” a drama co-starring Antonio Banderas.
“I love the fans. I love the festival and the energy,” Cruz said outside the restaurant as a large crowd gathered on the sidewalk to catch a glimpse of her. “Everyone is so happy to be back and be able to do this kind of thing that we couldn’t do for a couple of years.”
Inside, the room buzzed with Andrew Garfield, Zosia Mamet, Lucy Boynton, Tommy Dorfman, Whitney Peak, Christy Turlington, Ed Burns, Lily Allen, Quannah Rose Chasinghorse-Potts, Andie MacDowell, Zac Posen, Amandla Stenberg and Kyle Maclachlan.
Evan Mock.
Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com
Delicate white floral arrangements festooned the restaurant’s red leather banquettes as a feast of savory steak frites followed by chocolate covered profiteroles stuffed with creamy ice cream were served.
Over dinner, Tribeca co-founder Robert De Niro mingled with Cruz at a corner table as the Spanish actress adorned a ring replica of a mini-Chanel quilted purse that perfectly matched her pink silk jacquard dress. Across the room, many congratulated “The Office” star B.J. Novak on his film festival directorial debut of “Vengeance.”
Dianna Agron, Paula Weinstein and Whitney Peak.
Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com
Actor-turned-director Kyra Sedgwick toasted the festival premiere of her film “Space Oddity”: “The genesis of Tribeca was always a phoenix rising from the ashes, you know. And I feel like that in some ways myself tonight.