On March 22, 2014, Clearwater Bay Studios, Hong Kong, was over run by influential individuals from the film and humanitarian sector. More than 400 people arrived from around the globe to celebrate FilmAid Asia’s Power of Film Gala and ultimately raise over HK$3.5 million. The evening was filled with generous individuals, committed to FilmAid’s mission of projecting hope and changing lives through the medium of film.
This was the Gala’s third year and the third time for Moet & Chandon to demonstrate their unwavering support of FilmAid Asia by acting as the presenting partner for the event. The night was filled with stars, and members of the FilmAid Board, unanimously dedicated to FilmAid’s values; Tilda Swinton and Donnie Yen paid tribute to the humanitarian filmmaker Ruby Yang, whilst other guests included Jamie Campbell Bower, Fan Bingbing, Godfrey Gao, and Cheng Pei-pei.
Ruby Yang was honoured by FilmAid Asia for her contribution to using media to promote awareness of crucial social issues, for example, through founding Chang Ai Media Project to raise awareness of HIV in China. On top of that, Yang’s world renowned documentaries touch on diverse themes, ranging from the posionous consequences of chemical plants, to the lives of gay men in China who are obliged to marry women in order to please their parents.
The evening was spent enjoying a performance by Grandmaster Flash . After cocktails, guests were seated for a special dinner prepared by the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Following this, the charity auction begun, which included items such as tickets to Burberry's London Fashion show, and an original artwork by graffiti artist Mr Brainwash. In addition, and as a complete surprise to everyone, Tilda Swinton ingeniously auctioned off the reading of a bedtime story to the highest bidder in the room. Jamie Campbell Bower attended the Gala as FilmAid's Global Artist Council member and assisted Levina Li-Cadman and Claire Breen Melwani raise funds during the Educate Through Film section. Jamie also auctioned his guitar to raise extra funds. All this money raised is invaluable and supports the ongoing programs in Asia, which include skills training for NGOs, film production, community outreach to refugees and mobile cinemas which raise awareness of social and health issues.
FilmAid thanks its generous sponsors for the event, and the unceasing generosity of the guests, who made the third inaugural Power of Film Gala Asia, the best yet.