Ferzan Ozpetek receives the Courage award at the amfAR gala

The amfAR Gala will be held on 7 September at the Venice Arsenal with a charity auction to raise funds for

research .

The event where

is supported by Campari with the Red Sea Film Festival.

"I knew of the great commitment of Elizabeth Taylor, one of the founders of amfAR. In previous editions of the Gala, in particular in Cannes, New York and Venice, the award went among others to Julia Roberts, Anthony Fauci, Charlize Theron, Katy Perry , Scarlett Johansson, Cher, Renzo Rosso. I'm in good company, I thought ", comments the director.

And regarding the challenging significance of the Courage Award, he admits: "Well, at the beginning of my career I didn't think of fighting, but in unsuspecting times, many years ago, I was among the first to go out. In the meantime, Italy has changed. I am very pleased that The ignorant fairies have contributed with a new look at cultural change. Also for this reason last year I accepted from Disney Star the proposal to make the TV series adapted to the present day "

Two donations offered by the director for the large auction for the benefit of AIDS research.

The first is a photographic print picture taken from the Venetika video installation curated by Giovanna Zabotti for the 2019 Art Biennale. The splendid protagonist of the short film Venetika and the painting at auction is the image of Kasia Smutniak, where the actress with the mysterious and nuanced beauty of his face and body embodies the lagoon city as in a poignant and hypnotic dream.

The second donation, original and curious at the same time, will allow the winner to participate in a day of shooting, perhaps saying the fateful "Ciak in campo !!!"

on the set of Ozpetek's next movie.

In a passage of the motivation that accompanies the prestigious international recognition, Kevin Robert Frost, president of amfAR, underlines: "Throughout his career, Ferzan Ozpetek's deeply human stories have served to turn the spotlight not on how different each of us is. , but rather on how similar we are all. (…) amfAR has the great pleasure of rewarding him for his art and for his resonance and humanity ".

The Gala evening in the inimitable setting of the Arsenale will also host a special musical performance by the famous English singer and composer Ellie Goulding.