United Talent Agency is canceling its pre-Oscar party. They’re the first group in Hollywood to acknowledge the fires took place at all.
So far, Vanity Fair and Chanel (guided by London flack Charles Finch) are having parties without a thought to the wildfires.
UTA says they’ll donate funds instead to three groups:
· SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Natural Disaster Relief Fund is providing disaster relief assistance to SAG-AFTRA members whose homes were damaged or destroyed.
· Entertainment Community Fund (Formerly the Actors Fund) is accepting applications for essential needs and financial relief (housing, utilities, healthcare, etc.) for entertainment performers and professionals.
They say they’ll also donate to the Motion Picture and TV Fund, but that’s what we call a canard: everyone donates to the fund anyway. Vanity Fair is doing the same thing. The Fund has little to do with the fires at all. In fact, the Fund already as a party on Oscar eve called The Night Before, paid for by the studios. Celebrities line up to get swag bags full of expensive trinkets.
As for Vanity Fair, they will just party on. Same for Finch and Chanel.
Other talent agencies like UTA — Creative Artists, WME, etc — have parties planned for Friday night, February 28th.
Meantime, the studios themselves are looking warily at parties. Universal and Focus will celebrate “Wicked” and “Conclave” on the Wednesday before the Oscars. Last year, with “Oppenheimer” looking at multiple wins, the studio took over SoHo House after the Oscars show.
So far no word from Searchlight (“A Real Pain,” “A Complete Unknown”), or Neon (“Anora”) about their plans. Netflix may be gunshy with “Emilia Perez.”
It’s bewildering that the movie community has not stepped up like the music world did for Grammy Week. “Fire Aid” raised $100 million, half of which has been donated to aid groups this week.
