PRESS RELEASE
Published December 4, 2023
GALA RAISES OVER $10 MILLION
With Featured Performance by Billie Eilish, Gala was Co-Chaired by
Ava Duvernay, Dr. Eric Esrailian, Halle Berry, and Ryan Murphy, and Presented by Rolex
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 4, 2023 / Special Projects, the leading agency in talent booking, creative content, and event production, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dolphin Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLPN), celebrated its continued partnership with The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, as the talent relations partner for its third annual gala last night, which raised over $10 million to support the museum’s exhibitions, education initiatives, and public programming, including screenings, K-12 programs, and access initiatives in service of the general public and the local community of Los Angeles. Dedicated to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking, the gala was generously presented by Rolex-founding supporter and official watch partner of the Academy Museum-and co-chaired by Academy AwardⓇ-nominated director Ava DuVernay, Academy Museum Trustee, physician, producer, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Dr. Eric Esrailian, Academy Award-winning actor and Academy Museum supporter Halle Berry, and Academy Museum Trustee and screenwriter, director, producer Ryan Murphy.
The celebratory evening, commemorating the acclaimed museum’s two-year anniversary, was a star-studded affair that honored four Hollywood icons for their contributions to film both past and present. Greta Gerwig presented three-time Academy Award-winner and 21-time Academy Award-nominated actor Meryl Streep with the Academy Museum Gala Icon Award, celebrating her significant global cultural impact. The Visionary Award was presented to Academy Award-winning and three-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and actor Sofia Coppola by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Chloe Zhao for her extensive body of work that has advanced the art of cinema. This year’s Vantage Award was presented by Christopher Nolan to award-winning actor, producer, and director Michael B. Jordan, whose sister Jamila Jordan accepted on his behalf, for his work as an emerging artist who is helping to contextualize and challenge dominant narratives around cinema. Global media leader Oprah Winfrey received the Pillar Award from Gala Co-Chair Ava Duvernay, acknowledging her exemplary leadership and support for the Academy Museum.
The event was attended by some of Hollywood’s most prolific and notable actors, filmmakers, and industry executives as well as members of the event’s host committee who came together to support the museum. Guests included: Addison Rae, Adria Arjona, Adrien Brody, Alana Haim, Aldis Hodge, Alicia Vikander, Allan DiCastro, Amber Valletta, America Ferrera, Andrew Durham, Angela Bassett, Anna Diop, Anna Kendrick, Arianne Phillips, Aunjanue Ellis, Aurora James, Awkwafina, Aziz Ansari, B.J. Novak, Barry Keoghan, Bettina Korek, Brit Marling, Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, Bryce Dallas Howard, Camila Morrone, Camille Rowe, Cara Delevigne, Cara Jade Myers, Carolyn Murphy, Charles Melton, Chloë Grace Moretz, Chloe Zhao, Chris Briney, Chrissy Teigen, Christina Ricci, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, Clara Wong, Claudia Sulewski, Colman Domingo, Cord Jefferson, Corey Hawkins, Courtney B. Vance, D.V. DeVincentis, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinart, Danielle Brooks, Danielle Haim, Danny Ramirez, David Oyelowo, Deepika Padukone, Demi Moore, Diana Silvers, Drew Kuhse, Dua Lipa, Elizabeth Banks, Emerald Fennell, Este Haim, Eva Longoria, Fantasia Barrino, Finneas Baird O’Connell, Gael Garcia Bernal, Gayle King, Gemma Chan, George C. Wolfe, Gia Coppola, Glenn Howerton, Grace Van Patten, Greta Gerwig, Greta Lee, Hailey Bieber, Hari Nef, Harley Viera Newton, Henry Golding, Irene Neuwirth, Irwin Winkler, Jack Huston, Jamie Mizrahi, JaNae Collins, Jared Leto, Jay Ellis, Jeffrey Wright, Jennifer Connelly, Jesse Plemons, Jesse Williams, JJ Abrams, Jodie Turner Smith, John Legend, Jon Batiste, Jon Bernthal, José Bastón, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Joseph Lee, Julia Garner, Julianne Moore, Jurnee Smollett, Kaia Gerber, Karlie Kloss, Kate Mulleavy, Ke Huy Quan, Keke Palmer, Kelly Lynch, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Kendall Jenner, Kerry Condon, Kim Gordon, Kirsten Dunst, Kyle MacLachlan, LaKeith Stanfield, Lamorne Morris, Laura Harrier, Laura Mulleavy, Lauren Santo Domingo, Lenny Kravitz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Liz Raposo, Luke Wilson, Lupita Nyong’o, Maggie Betts, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Margaret Qualley, Margo Winkler, Mark Bradford, Mason Gooding, Max Minghella, Meghann Fahy, Michaela J. Rodriguez, Michelle Williams, Miky Lee, Mitch Glazer, Molly Gordon, Molly Shannon, Nat Wolff, Natasha Lyonne, Nicholas Galitzine, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Nicolas Ghesquière, Niecy Nash-Betts, Nina Garcia, Niousha Noor, Olivia Wilde, Paul Bettany, Paul Giamatti, Peter Sarsgaard, Phoebe Dynevor, Phoebe Tonkin, Rachel Morrison, Rachel Sennott, Rachel Zegler, Rashida Jones, Regina Hall, Robert Downey Jr., Roger Ross Williams, Ryan Bathe, Salma Hayak, Samara Weaving, Sandra Oh, Saoirse Ronan, Selena Gomez, Seth Rogen, Shameik Moore, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Stan Walker, Stephanie Hsu, Stephen Galloway, Sterling K. Brown, Taraji P Henson, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Taylour Paige, Teyana Taylor, Tom Blyth, Tracee Ellis Ross, Willem Dafoe, Youree Henley, Zachary Quinto, Zazie Beetz, Zoë Kravitz and more.
Director and President of the Academy Museum, Jacqueline Stewart, welcomed guests during cocktails in the museum’s Sidney Poitier Lobby. Guests then danced along to a special beatnik dance performance choreographed by Stephen Galloway as they made their way to dinner on the Dolby Family Terrace, which, this year, took design inspiration from the Hollywood landmark restaurant, Chasen’s. Before ending their evening, guests were treated to a surprise musical performance by Billie Eilish, and concluded their night with a visit to the museum’s new exhibition, John Waters: Pope of Trash, the first retrospective dedicated to Waters’s six-decade film career. Paying further homage to the legendary filmmaker, the red carpet was surrounded by the flamboyance of flamingos in a nod to Waters’s 1972 classic feature, Pink Flamingos, and the iconic dress donned by his longtime friend and collaborator, Divine.
The event and design was conceived by Gala Creative Director Lisa Love, and Artistic Director Raúl Àvila, with talent relations overseen by Special Projects and musical direction by Keith Baptista, choreography by Jen Green and Stephan Galloway, and costume direction by Jacqui Getty in collaboration with STAUD.Clarendelle & Domaine Clarence Dillon, the Academy Museum official wine partner, provided wine for the evening.
The Icon, Visionary, and Vantage Awards, fabricated by UAP, are solid cast stainless steel statuettes inspired by historic versions of the OscarⓇ statuette; they are mirror polished by hand and attached to a cast bronze base with an engraved stainless-steel nameplate affixed. The Pillar Award, designed by the Haas Brothers and fabricated by UAP, is solid cast bronze, hand polished, hand stamped, and triple plated in nickel, copper, and 24k gold.
As a fundraiser, the event was greenlit to move forward by SAG-AFTRA. Now in its third year, the Academy Museum Gala is an annual fundraiser and celebration that reflects the museum’s mission to advance the understanding, celebration, and preservation of cinema and to expand knowledge and conversation about cinema as a global art form and cultural force.
About Special Projects
Special Projects is a world-renowned talent booking, creative content, and special events agency that elevates media, fashion, and lifestyle brands through the unique use of celebrities and storytelling. Trusted by both companies and public figures, Special Projects creates opportunities that garner press, build engagement, drive sales, and uniquely position our partners within the zeitgeist. Our core services include talent strategy and partnerships, event activation and guest list curation, and brand amplification through celebrities, influencers, and culture-defining personalities. Our keen trend-spotting and cultural forecasting abilities allow us to keep our finger on the pulse of pop culture and highlight new talents before they hit the mainstream. Special Projects has been featured in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, and Variety, among other outlets. To learn more, visit specialprojectsmedia.com.
About Dolphin Entertainment, Inc.
Dolphin Entertainment is a leading independent entertainment marketing and production company. Through our subsidiaries 42West, The Door and Shore Fire Media, we provide expert strategic marketing and publicity services to many of the top brands, both individual and corporate, in the film, television, music, gaming and hospitality industries. All three PR firms have been ranked among the most recent Observer’s “Power 50” PR Firms in the United States. Viewpoint Creative, The Digital Dept. complement their efforts with full-service creative branding and production capabilities as well as social media and influencer marketing services. Special Projects, Dolphin’s most recent acquisition, provides talent booking services and event production for high-end clients across the media, entertainment and fashion industries. Dolphin’s legacy content production business, founded by Emmy-nominated CEO Bill O’Dowd, has produced multiple feature films and award-winning digital series, and has recently entered into a multi-year agreement with IMAX to co-produce feature documentaries. To learn more, visit: https://www.dolphinentertainment.com.
This press release contains ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These forward-looking statements may address, among other things, Dolphin Entertainment Inc.’s offering of common stock as well as expected financial and operational results and the related assumptions underlying its expected results. These forward-looking statements are distinguished by the use of words such as “will,” “would,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “believe,” “designed,” “plan,” or “intend,” the negative of these terms, and similar references to future periods. These views involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, and accordingly, Dolphin Entertainment’s actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in its forward-looking statements. Dolphin Entertainment’s forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors or events Dolphin Entertainment cannot predict, including those described in the risk factors contained in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause its actual results to differ from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Although Dolphin Entertainment believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Dolphin Entertainment undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
Contact:
James Carbonara/Hayden IR
(646)-755-7412
[email protected]
SOURCE: Dolphin Entertainment, Inc.
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