The Better World Fund event in Venice took place during the 80th Edition of the Venice Film Festival, La Mostra, on the 7th & 8th of September, 2023.
More than 300 people attended at the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel & La Scuola Grande Della Misericordia di Venezia with the participation of great personalities such as: Isabelle Huppert, Jeremy Piven, Euzhan Palcy, Tom Volf, Keira Chaplin, Nadia Farès, Elisabeth Moreno, Joyce El-Khoury, and many others to raise awareness on: ” Women Empowerment” through Cinematic Art at the service of humanity”
Since 2016, BWF, Better World Fund, a Paris-based non-profit organization, has been organizing prestigious international events and inspiring cultural programs through concrete actions. This year again, in the sublime Palazzos of the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel and the Misericordia di Venezia, influential individuals from around the world were gathered, driven by the desire to positively influence the future of our society.
As stated by Manuel Collas de la Roche, President and Founder of Better World Fund: “In the heart of the magic of La Mostra, the BWF edition in Venice will celebrate women, and raise awareness about the place and power of women in the film industry. Today, we are convinced that the cinema industry holds a statutory role as a vector of social, educational and environmental values. It is therefore essential to continue supporting and encouraging the involvement of women in all aspects of the film industry in order to create a more equitable and inclusive society for all.”
Special Guests: During our gala evening, that took place on September 8th at La Scuola Grande Della Misericordia, in the presence of Isabelle Huppert, Jeremy Piven, the Soprano Joyce El-Khoury, many celebrities supported our commitment through their attendance, contributing their image to a cause that engages us all: Women Empowerment in the Image of Maria Callas.
Symbolising our theme, Euzhan Palcy, a celebrated filmmaker, has been commemorated for her achievements. She received an honorary Oscar last November and was recognized as the first Black director to win the Silver Lion at the 1983 Venice Mostra. She further garnered a César Award for Best First Work, a historic achievement for a female and Black director. Palcy’s work has inspired filmmakers, artists, and writers. Recently, she was honored with Medals of Honor from the Society of Dramatic Arts and Composers in France and the French National Assembly.
For this edition, with the underlying mission of “Women’s Empowerment”, the Better World Fund supported the Maria Callas Foundation, in honor of her centenary. By collecting archives from all over the world, including private collections and donations, the Foundation’s mission is to search and gather these archives in order to build a museum collection.
Mrs Diane Kalogeropoulos, Maria Callas’s great-niece honoured us with her presence to celebrate her memory.
Tom Volf, a leading expert on Maria Callas, highlighted the film he has just directed with Monica Bellucci, following the success of his last film “Maria by Callas” in 2017 which became an award-winning documentary and the most-watched French-produced film in the world in 2018. The collaboration between Tom Volf and Monica Bellucci, along with the foundation’s commitment to curating archives for a museum collection, reinforces the event’s overarching theme of empowerment.
On September 8th at 10:00 am, at La Scuola Grande Della Misericordia, the Better World Fund held a Masterclass Conference titled: “From Script to Screen: Empowering Women in the World of Cinema”. “ By giving women more varied and complex roles, the cinema industry offers positive role models who challenge traditional expectations and encourage women’s emancipation. This helps to create a more egalitarian and inclusive society by showing audiences that women can succeed in all domains of life whilst have a significant impact.” said Manuel Collas de la Roche, President.
We have been honored to welcome Mrs. Elisabeth Moreno, President of Tech-Foundation, Former Minister in charge of Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal opportunities, who moderated the masterclass.
Beside her, influential women and experts in their fields, who are working for the place, protection and equality of women in our society, debated with the audience.
PANEL : “Empowering Women in the World of Cinema”, with the exceptional participation of: Nadia Fares, Yasemin Samdereli, Kiera Chaplin, Tarina Patel, Valentina Castellani, Euzhan Palcy.
Individual Speakers : Empowering Women in the World of Business & Philanthropy, with the expert support of: Dr. Solanges Vivens, Karine Gros and Lorène Ferrandès.
On the same day, the Gala Dinner took place in the sumptuous hall of La Scuola Grande Della Misericordia and featured a rich artistic program with performances by Maria Elena Infantino, an international singer and actress with a unique connection to Maria Callas as the daughter of the tenor Luigi Infantino; Anna Sanachina a dramatic soprano of the great romantic tradition of Italian oper ; Daniel Alhaiby, a professional flutist, composer and arranger of unrivalled distinction; followed by an award ceremony and an auction
At each edition, the Better World Fund has awarded prizes to individuals committed to social, cultural and environmental causes. For this Venice Edition, Samia Yusuf Omar, posthumously, for her tragic fate, her courage and her fight against discrimination as a Muslim woman taking part in the Olympic Games; Elisabeth Moreno; Jeremy Piven ; Euzhan Palcy, the Soprano Joyce El-Khoury and Sindaco Onorevole Cateno De Luca received the Better World Best Achievement and Commitments Awards. Dr. Solanges Vivens received an award presented by Anwar Elkamony as the official Charity Partner of the Better World Fund.
PICTURE OF THE EVENT: BWF – Press Photos by Better World Fund
The event is held thanks to the precious support of 314 Cannes Group, NAD Clinic, Homolog, IIWB, Joanna Plafsky, Studio Mao, Squair, Clinique La Prairie, Maia Wine, SDB New Delhi, Luxury International Magazine, Chic Icon, Paris- Saclay University, Paris-Saclay Foundation, Open Culture Foundation, Luxury Limited Edition, Luxury Investment Magazine, Rinascimento Magazine, Celebre Magazine, Fab UK Magazine, United Studio, Culture Focus Magazine, Global Event Magazine, Parole Paris, Breaking-News-Arabia.com, Qatar-Media.tv, Dubai-Media.tv, Breaking-News- Saudi-Arabia.com, Breaking-News Kingdom-of-Bahrain.com, Opportunitysaudi.com, Opportunity-Mena.com, Opportunity-Europe.com.
