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Opening Night at the Marrakech International Film Festival

Filed under: Events

Cannes may still hold the key in the French-speaking world for film festivals, but Marrakech is quickly gaining rank. Not a film market like Cannes, the festival offers a greater joy: an opportunities for people around the world to converge upon this gorgeous city simply for the joy of cinema.

The Marrakech International Film Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary Friday night. The Opening Ceremony at the Palais des Congres hosted a slew of international film talent. Women walking the red carpet showcased their gorgeous couture caftans, as well as quite a few Dior evening gown numbers. Inside, guests were welcomed by the Royal Symphonic Orchestra, and a special score composed for the occasion.

John Malkovich, president of the 2010 jury, brought onstage the rest of his international team, including Faouzi Bensaidi, Dominic Cooper, Maggie Cheung, Gael Garcia Bernal, Irene Jacob, Benoit Jaxquot, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Yousra, all who welcomed guests in their respective languages. Keanu Reeves introduced his opening night film, Henry's Crime, in which he plays an apathetic tollbooth worker, who after wrongly taking the fall for a bank robbery, decides to initiate a real burglary at the very bank where he was arrested.

Following the film, over 700 guests joined the Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid for a special dinner to commemorate the event. No expense was spared at the sprawling Moroccan feast. Guests dined on a massive array of traditional dishes including chicken tagine, veal shank with eggplant, cumin fish, honey couscous, barley-filled pumpkin, and a variety of famous Moroccan pastries. The Royal Orchestra was on hand to entertain guests with decadent film scores.

Gallery: Marrakesh International Film Festival Opening Night

Festival Director Melita Toscan Du Plantier

Charlotte Rampling, Barry Levinson, Volker Schondorff

Tags: Festival, Film, John Malkovich, Keanu Reeves, MarionCotillard, Marrakesh

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Auchentoshan Releases 1998 Limited Edition for 2010 Whisky Festival

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events

Last summer, Scottish whisky distillery Auchentoshan held a grand festival that drew some 2,600 malt aficionados and connoisseurs from near and far. This year the festival is marking its return as an annual event, featuring whisky tastings, live music and cooking classes.

Specially for the event, the distillery has released a limited edition single malt, a 12-year-old bottling from 1998, matured in Sherry casks and bottled at cask strength. Only 200 bottles will be offered at £50 apiece, each individually numbered and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by head distiller Jeremy Stephens. Visitors will also have the opportunity to bottle their own directly from a specially selected cask.

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Tags: auchentoshan, auchentoshan whisky festival, festival, malt, scotch, single malt, whisky festival

Miami Wine and Food Festival

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine, Charity

The Miami Wine and Food Festival is all set to offer a wide variety of gourmet delicacies, rare vintages, and fun experiences for food and wine lovers in South Florida. Celebrating its 15th year and scheduled to take place on the 22nd - 24th of this month, one of the highlights is the return of chef Todd English to the festival for the "Food, Friends & Fun Interactive Dinner" where tables will team up to cook their own 3 course meals under the direction of Chef English. Other events include live music, the "Taste and Toast" extravaganza (with VIP tasting), and The Champagne GH Mumm reception with silent auction.

The Miami Wine and Food Festival benefits Camillus House and United Way of Miami-Dade, and more info and event tickets are available here.

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Tags: festival, florida, food, food festivals, miami, Todd English, wine

$4.5 Million 1932 Bugatti & More at Masterpiece London

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Events

A $4.5 million 1932 Bugatti (above) will be among the attractions at Masterpiece London, a new fair combining fine and decorative art with premium collectors' items, taking place at the city's former Chelsea Barracks from June 24–29. UK classic car specialists Fiskens and Coys will be showcasing a dazzling array of fine historical automobiles at the event. The 1932 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix racer from Coys has been piloted by legendary driver Jean Pierre Wimille and is one of the finest surviving examples of its kind. Another highlight from Fiskens is a magnificent Aston Martin DB4 GT, which competed on a multitude occasions at some of the most high-profile Swiss races between 1962 and 1965. Joining the cars will be exquisite pieces from the diverse worlds of arms and armor, contemporary furniture, antiquities, clocks, ceramics, haute couture, watches, fine antique jewelry, textiles, rare antique books, paintings and modern works of art from around the world.

Tags: Bugatti, classic cars, fair, festival, London, Masterpiece London, UK, vintage car fair, vintage cars

Celebrate Songkran in Southeast Asia

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

If your New Years Eve party this past year somehow fell short -- and you got distracted by Valentine's Day and President's Day and missed Chinese New Year too -- here's another chance to usher in a new year: Songkran, a festival celebrating the new year that takes place throughout Southeast Asia, with the epicenter in Thailand. It goes from April 13th to April 15th in 2010.

It's basically one giant water fight. The belief here is that water washes away bad luck, and so it's actually a benevolent act when someone throws an ice-cold bucket of water on your head -- whether a passerby on the street or a person armed with buckets from a flat-bed truck. It's also similarly an act of kindness when you're attacked by water pistols. Plus -- and I would imagine, somewhat separately from dousing zones -- there are beauty contests. I'm going to be in Thailand over this festival, and so I'm going to be sure to pack plenty of plastic baggies for my phone and camera, etc. Heck, I'm ready to have any potential bad luck washed away, and it all sounds much less messy than the Indian holiday Holi, where celebrants throw paint.

Tags: festival, songkran, southeast asia, thailand, world fetivals

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Parmigiani Kalpa XL and Grande Watches For The Montreaux Jazz Festival

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Each year there is a special music festival in Switzerland known as the Montreaux Jazz Festival. While the music is mostly jazz, it is brimming with contemporary artists in what is most always an impressive event - we just don't ever get to hear about it in the US. Watch company Parmigiani Fleurier is one of the sponsors and also creates limited edition timepieces for the festival - that this year took place in July. The festival has literally hundreds of artists that perform most of them being free to watch - while tickets are required for the bigger names. This year top performers where lucky to received one of these Parmigiani limited edition watches based on the Kalpa XL or Kalpa Grande watches. Notable recipients were such names as Alice Cooper, the Black Eyed Peas, Wyclef Jean, and B.B. King.

Two versions of the limited edition watch are available - for either men or women. The dial has been modeled after the event poster with the whimsical winding piano keys. In blue with a watching blue alligator strap is the men's model in the Kalpa XL, while a pink dialed model with a while python strap for the ladies comes in the Kalpa Grande watch case. Both versions come with a steel case and automatic Swiss movements. A nice collector's item for the musically inclined or jazz music enthusiast.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: festival, jazz, limited edition, LimitedEdition, montreaux, parmigiani, watch

Festivals Feel The Economic Pinch

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events

The latest fallout from the economy may be annual festivals. From food and wine to music and poetry, festivals bring tourism dollars to towns across the country. But as both individuals and companies spend less, festivals are struggling to survive. Reuters reports that the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation's biennial poetry festival has already been cancelled for 2010 and South Florida's Langerado Music Festival was canceled due to poor ticket sales.

Corporations are also limiting their sponsorships both to save money and appear less frivolous, a situation which also doomed the Moscow World Art Fair this year. Some budget-crunched cities may also not be able to offer festivals and parades discounted services. Festivals which cater to larger crowds are particularly difficult to manage. Just as some museums are finding they have more visitors but less money from donors, larger festivals may have plenty of local attendees but less financial backing. Some high-end wine festivals are still doing well. The South Beach wine and food festival still found enough takers for a $1,000-a-plate banquet celebrating Spanish food and wine.

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Tags: festival, food, wine

Luxury Package To The Tobago Jazz Festival

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events

One couple, one week, one luxurious trip. Red Diamond Events is offering an all Inclusive package deal to the Tobago Jazz Festival, April 25 to April 29. This year's festival includes Elton John, LL Cool J, Mary J Blige, Diana Ross, Al Green and many other performers. The package includes private jet travel from Miami to Barbados, a stay at the Crane in Barbados, flights over to Tobago for the festival and tickets for the three-day event, day cruises, spa services and all meals and drinks. The trip costs $22,950 per couple and 25 packages remain.

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Tags: festival, jazz, tobago, travel, trinidad, vacation

Hamptons Food and Wine Festival

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine, Events

Next weekend is time for the 2nd Annual Hamptons Wine & Food Festival. This weekend of parties, wine and food tastings, will include cooking demonstrations from Food Network stars Sandra Lee and Dave Lieberman. Other special events held during the weekend include an exclusive VIP party at an oceanfront estate on Friday night, a festive, multi-bar VIP Tent and Terrace with live music and dancing, a Sunday champagne tasting brunch at the popular Della Femina Restaurant in East Hampton. Other events held during the weekend include an exclusive VIP party at an oceanfront estate on Friday night and a Sunday champagne tasting brunch at the Della Femina Restaurant in East Hampton. Like last year, the festival benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation and a platinum pass sells for $500.

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Tags: dining, festival, food, hamptons, wine

Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine, Events

The first Los Angeles Wine & Food Festival will take place on August 26 and 27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The event will feature Iron Chef Cat Cora, cookbook author David Lawrence, wine expert Amy Reiley and a whole host of exhibitors. Special features include a Chocolate Corner with tastings and a cigar rolling demonstration.The Festival is open from 2 to 7 p.m. and costs $65 per day. On Aug. 25, there will also be a Reserve Tasting at the Los Angeles Marriott which costs $125 for the open tasting and $225 for the prime tasting. The LA Convention Center isn't the most scenic place for a wine and food festival but I still might have to check this out.

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Tags: festival, food, los angeles, wine, LosAngeles,Wine

Jumeirah Festival of Taste

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine, Events

Food and wine festivals are always happily decadent events but when an event is hosted by the Jumeirah hotel group, luxury takes on a whole new level. Th first annual Jumeirah Festival of Taste takes place May 21-26, 2006 in Dubai and features perhaps the most over-the-top dining event I have ever heard of. It is called the Ultimate Dinner Party and will take four people on an unparalleled dining experience. It starts with a cocktail reception at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers where they can mingle with the celebrity chefs participating in A Festival of Taste, then they are taken by helicopter to the Burj Al Arab for a first and second course. A luxury car then takes them to the Villa Beach Restaurant at Jumeirah Beach Hotel for a hot entrée. Then a limo takes them to the Pisces in Souk Madinat Jumeirah for the main course, followed by a short walk to Napa for dessert, coffee, cigars and digestifs. The evening ends with an overnight stay in a suite at Burj Al Arab and a morning breakfast as well as a receive a gift from Jumeirah to commemorate the night. The party costs AED 100,000 for four (around $27,230). Other more traditional events that are part of the festival include cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and book signings. The festival kicks off with the ‘1001 Nights Meet the Stars Opening Event’ which includes a champagne reception,wine tasting, live cooking stations featuring renowned chefs and live entertainment.

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Tags: burj al arab, BurjAlArab, dubai, events, festival, food and drink, jumeirah, luxury, middle east, tastings, wine

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