In Beverly Hills, the legendary Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel was bustling with Hollywood’s elite for the annual Chanel and Charles Finch dinner on Saturday night. The event marked the last big gathering before the 97th Academy Awards. Stars filled the patio with a sense of anticipation and readiness to enjoy the evening, even with the busy day and awards show preparations the next day.
Oscar hopefuls joined in the celebration, including notable figures like Adrien Brody, Demi Moore, Jeremy Strong, Ralph Fiennes, and Fernanda Torres. Among the attendees was Lupita Nyong’o, who lent her voice to the robot Roz in “The Wild Robot,” nominated for best animated film. She expressed her excitement about attending the ceremony, remarking on the privilege of celebrating creativity during such unsettled times in the world.
A parade of celebrities graced the black carpet, including Elle Fanning and Dakota Fanning arriving together, chatting with television correspondent Gayle King. Director Judd Apatow was seen sharing the occasion with his daughter, actress Maude Apatow. Natasha Lyonne humorously posed for pictures with her date, spotting Regé-Jean Page from “Bridgerton” and playfully claiming him as another boyfriend.
The dinner drew a diverse crowd, featuring “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve, “Wicked” star Jeff Goldblum, artist and producer Questlove, filmmaker Patty Jenkins, along with actors Riley Keough and Olivia Wilde. Some, like Ralph Fiennes and comedian John Mulaney, bypassed the spotlight of the photographers.
Inside, the atmosphere was warm and convivial. Harvey Keitel was delighted to meet Willem Dafoe, greeting him with a friendly kiss—a reunion of their collaboration in “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” They were joined shortly by actress Lily-Rose Depp. Elsewhere, Michael Keaton discreetly met with old friends, while Mulaney enjoyed a conversation with his wife Olivia Munn, alongside actress Zoey Deutch.
Adrien Brody entertained admirers in another area, while “The Brutalist” director Brady Corbet stayed near his partner and co-writer Mona Fastvold. Meanwhile, Jeremy Strong navigated through the gathering in comfortable sneakers and actress Julie Delpy sought out a moment with Demi Moore.
In another section, actress Felicity Jones conversed with filmmaker Gia Coppola, who shared her appreciation for an event that merges the worlds of cinema and fashion seamlessly.
Most attendees were adorned in Chanel from head to toe, a brand that has long been associated with the film industry. Back in 1930, Samuel Goldwyn had invited Gabrielle Chanel to Hollywood to design clothes for film icons like Gloria Swanson. Later, Chanel collaborated with French directors such as Jean Renoir and clothed numerous New Wave actresses including Jeanne Moreau and Romy Schneider.
British producer and entrepreneur Charles Finch initiated Saturday’s celebration with a speech highlighting the importance of being guests in the country and opposing tyranny, which sparked enthusiastic applause from Corbet. Finch articulated that his favorite part of the event is knowing that guests had a wonderful time and seeing them potentially win an Academy Award the following day.
The night concluded with Finch reflecting on the joy of celebrating film, remarking, “Celebrating film is always the most amazing part of the night.”
