DUBAI: Eva Longoria Bastón, Melanie Griffith, Will Poulter, Luke Hemsworth, Jeffrey Wright, Anastacia and Andie MacDowell joined forces in Dubai Monday night for the glamorous charity fundraiser “The Global Gift Gala”, which was hosted by the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) and UAE-based philanthropic organization, Dubai Cares at the Four Seasons Hotel during the 13th edition of the festival.
Two awards were given throughout the night. The Global Gift Humanitarian Award was awarded to Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe winning Hollywood actress Melanie Griffith. Owner and vice president of Apparel Group, Sima Ved was presented with The Global Gift Philantropreneur Award.
Hosted by Tom Urqhart, guests were entertained with an exclusive lineup of performances from stars.
A Sarah Jessica Parker experience that offered supporters the chance to have a shoe in her next collection named after them, fly to New York for the launch and meet SJP herself was auctioned off for $17,000; a unique Pablo Picasso Book of Drawings and Writings signed by Picasso was auctioned off for $28,000 and was purchased by Melanie Griffith; Eva Longoria Bastón offered supporters the chance to join her in Paris in May at the Four Seasons George V and celebrity chef, Gary Rhodes offered supporters a dining experience with him and 20 of their friends.
Longoria commented on the evening, “Dubai has a really special place in my heart and I love coming back year after year to this event with the Dubai International Film Festival and Dubai Cares. Last night was great, empowerment of women took center stage and we think everyone had a great time. Most importantly we raised lots of funds for the foundations which is why we are here!”
Hollywood stars come out for DIFF charity gala
Hollywood stars come out for DIFF charity gala
Arts festival’s decision to exclude Palestinian author spurs boycott
- A Macquarie University academic who researches Islamophobia and Palestine, Abdel-Fattah responded saying it was “a blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism and censorship,” with her lawyers issuing a letter to the festival
SYDENY: A top Australian arts festival has seen the withdrawal of dozens of writers in a backlash against its decision to bar an Australian Palestinian author after the Bondi Beach mass shooting, as moves to curb antisemitism spur free speech concerns.
The shooting which killed 15 people at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Dec. 14 sparked nationwide calls to tackle antisemitism. Police say the alleged gunmen were inspired by Daesh.
The Adelaide Festival board said last Thursday it would disinvite Randa Abdel-Fattah from February’s Writers Week in the state of South Australia because “it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi.”
FASTFACTS
• Abdel-Fattah responded, saying it was ‘a blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism and censorship.’
• Around 50 authors have since withdrawn from the festival in protest, leaving it in doubt, local media reported.
A Macquarie University academic who researches Islamophobia and Palestine, Abdel-Fattah responded saying it was “a blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism and censorship,” with her lawyers issuing a letter to the festival.
Around 50 authors have since withdrawn from the festival in protest, leaving it in doubt, local media reported.
Among the boycotting authors, Kathy Lette wrote on social media the decision to bar Abdel-Fattah “sends a divisive and plainly discriminatory message that platforming Australian Palestinians is ‘culturally insensitive.'”
The Adelaide Festival said in a statement on Monday that three board members and the chairperson had resigned. The festival’s executive director, Julian Hobba, said the arts body was “navigating a complex moment.”
a complex and unprecedented moment” after the “significant community response” to the board decision.
In the days after the Bondi Beach attack, Jewish community groups and the Israeli government criticized Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for failing to act on a rise in antisemitic attacks and criticized protest marches against Israel’s war in Gaza held since 2023.
Albanese said last week a Royal Commission will consider the events of the shooting as well as antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia. Albanese said on Monday he would recall parliament next week to pass tougher hate speech laws.
On Monday, New South Wales state premier Chris Minns announced new rules that would allow local councils to cut off power and water to illegally operating prayer halls.
Minns said the new rules were prompted by the difficulty in closing a prayer hall in Sydney linked to a cleric found by a court to have made statements intimidating Jewish Australians.
The mayor of the western Sydney suburb of Fairfield said the rules were ill-considered and councils should not be responsible for determining hate speech.
“Freedom of speech is something that should always be allowed, as long as it is done in a peaceful way,” Mayor Frank Carbone told Reuters.
