The American Film Institute Awards Luncheon has always been an uplifting event, in part because everyone in the room is already a winner. At the annu
The American Film Institute Awards Luncheon has always been an uplifting event, in part because everyone in the room is already a winner. At the annual fete honoring the top 10 films and TV shows of the year, there’s no competition, no long speeches, no losers.
This year’s event, held on February 6, carried even more emotional weight than normal, bringing together so many in the industry after the devastating loss felt from the Los Angeles fires. The luncheon had originally been planned for January 10, but was postponed due to that disaster. “No words will wipe away the tears of this town. No moment of silence will heal the hearts of our friends and neighbors and colleagues who have lost everything,” said AFI’s Bob Gazzale onstage in his opening remarks. “But we can stop for a moment and be grateful.”
The ballroom at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles was particularly packed this year, and attendees seemed excited to see each other again. There hadn’t been any major awards events for about a month, since most were canceled and postponed due to the fires. The hobnobbing before the seated lunch went on much longer than it usually does, with the event’s staff and organizers attempting to get attendees to sit so the show could start.
In the lobby before the event kicked off, Vanity Fair spotted Wicked star Ariana Grande chatting with Conclave’s Ralph Fiennes. “I walked by three people from Wicked, but I beelined it to Ralph,” joked Grande, who counts Conclave among her favorite films of the year. In the ballroom, Sing Sing’s Colman Domingo ran up to Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo, who jumped up to give him a hug. The Brutalist star Adrien Brody was spotted in deep conversation with A Complete Unknown’s Edward Norton, while Wicked’s Michelle Yeoh dashed her way across the room to the Shōgun table to warmly greet Hiroyuki Sanada. Directors like Emilia Pérez’s Jacques Audiard, Anora’s Sean Baker, Nickel Boys’ RaMell Ross, and A Complete Unknown’s James Mangold were also making their way around the room with members of their casts.
Not to be outdone, the television side of the awards brought out stars like Shrinking’s Harrison Ford (who was given a special shoutout by Gazalle as an AFI lifetime honoree), True Detective’s Jodie Foster, The Penguin’s Colin Farrell, The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri, Baby Reindeer’s Jessica Gunning, Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson, and Nobody Wants This leads Adam Brody and Kristen Bell. Bell’s guest at the event was a Los Angeles firefighter, who was given a special standing ovation after Gazalle pointed him out to the room in his opening remarks.
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