Whether you’ve been invited to some, one, or none of the great parties happening, here’s what you need to know to talk the talk this Oscar week.
Tuesday saw "Resident Evil" star Milla Jovovich join Best Director nominee David O. Russell, "Dynasty" star Joan Collins, Paz de la Huerta and "Entourage's" George Segal (see below) at "The Fighter" VIP dinner Moet, Hugo Boss and Interview magazine held at Asia de Cuba.
That was just the start.
For the next five days and nights of non-stop bubbly and schmooze, it’s a good thing there’s so many auto sponsors to safely shuttle party-goers around town.
Plus, a party co-hosted by both Brangelina and Aniston, why waking up early could get you free movies at AMC for a year, and how you can virtually attend the Elton John party.
Also read: Oscar 2011 – Presenters and Performers (So Far)
Wednesday – Feb. 23
We start with a home game.
“TheWrap’s Celebration of the Best of 2010 Award Season”
Direct Your Car To: Culina at the Four Seasons
StarPower: Over 34 Oscar nominees including Andrew Garfield, Tom Hooper (“The Kings Speech”), Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“Biutiful”), and Best Picture nominees from almost every film in the category. Lots of people in this room will go home with gold on Sunday. Minnie Driver, "Justin Bieber Never Say Never" director Jon Chu, Moby, and other faces will also be in the mix.
Suit Power: Harvey Weinstein, Ryan Kavanaugh, and TheWrap Founder Sharon Waxman.
Charity Beneficiary: Give Love, a non-profit that provides low-cost housing and eco-sanitation in Haiti.
Goodies: A 25 year bottle of Chivas from Pernod, a piece from Christian Laboutin, and a stay at the host venue (The Four Seasons) is up for grabs in a silent auction.
“Weinstein/Dior Dinner”
Direct Your Car To: The Chateau Marmont
From the Four Seasons, Weinstein will head over to the Chateau Marmont for The Weinstein Co’s dinner with Dior. Don’t feel bad if this invite got lost in the mail. There’s only 60 place cards on the table. They’ll be cracking open Moet & Chandon, which should get its own statute as the official champagne of the Oscar ceremony (literally) and as one of the most prolific sponsors at multiple Oscar week events. (Disclosure: They’re sponsoring TheWRAP’s event also.)
“Pieces of Heaven” Art Auction
Direct Your Chrysler Car Service to: Siren Studios
As a board member of the celeb-friendly Art of Elysium, Kavanaugh will likely be heading to Sunset and Gower. A handful of name brands are banding together for the AofE’s “Pieces of Heaven”Art Auction. No stranger to collaborations, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas (who hosted the most high wattage New Year’s Bash with Jay-Z and Coldplay) partners with Christie’s for the event. This is an official Vanity Fair Campaign Hollywood event (more on the “Campaign” below).
Logline: Expect lots of well dressed young Hollywood at a sneakers-free event within a highly manicured space.
Star Power on the Host Committee: Scarlett Johansson, actor/photographer Scott Caan, and China Chow (who appropriately hosts Bravo’s “Next Great Artist’ reality show), amongst others.
Suit Power: Abby Bangser (LACMA), Andrea Fiuczynski (President of Christie’s Los Angeles)
Goodies: If your price is right, you could go home with one of the 75 works donated by artists, dealers, and private collectors in support of Art of Elysium’s programs that get big names to donate their time and talent for seriously ill children.
Global Green USA’s 8th Annual Pre-Oscar® Party
Look for: The Chevy Volt Electric Car Parked outside The Avalon
Logline: Tom Cruise rocked out in the balcony a few years ago and Leonardo DiCaprio’s been a long time supporter of this annual big-box concert renewing Hollywood’s passion to for greener cities and a cooler planet.
Star Power: Black Rebel performs for nominee David O. Russell, Hayden Panettiere and co-hosts Jim Carrey, Orlando Bloom, Rosario Dawson, and Alison Brie amongst others. Keep an eye out for Kara DioGuardi, who’s been largely M.I.A. since the well-received “Idol” reboot.
Suit Power: Global Green CEO Matt Petersen, Sebastian Copeland, Roland Emmerich, and (likely) James Cameron. (Suzy Amis Cameron reveals a winning “green” dress design each year that she wears to Sunday’s ceremony.)
Bonus: Money talks everywhere, but especially here. Tiered tickets from $55-$1000 are still availableto the general public.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, “The Kids are All Right” cast gathers at Cecconi’s in West Hollywood for a party hosted by Soho House and Grey Goose (the other most prolific awards week fixture)
Read also: The Odds' Oscar Ballot – Javier Bardem, "Black Swan" & Michelle Williams Get Out Our Vote
Thursday – Feb. 24
“4th Annual Hollywood Domino Gala”
Direct Your Sponsored Mercedes Car Service to: The Sunset Tower Hotel
Logline: When bon vivant Seth MacFarlane has anything to do with a party, it’s going to be good. The “Family Guy” creator performs with a jazz orchestra at a themed gala to benefit the Seven Bar Foundation. Yes, the party is also about playing dominoes.
Stars helping Bring “Game Night” back to Hollywood: Jessica Alba, Gerard Butler, Chris Evans, Armie Hammer, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Salling, Dave Annable and Odette Yustman.
Suit Power: Ben Silverman and Mike De Luca.
Search Engine Switch?: Amongst Circa, Rums of Puerto Rico, and others, Microsoft’s Hollywood-minded search engine “Bing” is onboard as a sponsor. In 2008, MacFarlane and Bing-rival Google partnered on a large content and marketing deal.
Goodies: If you’re a big enough name, organizers will get you a ride there and back in one of Mercedes’ S400 sedans with the hydrogen fuel cell.
“Vanity Fair’s Campaign Hollywood Thursday: Fox Searchlight”
Direct the car to: Bar Marmont
VF is not just Sunday night’s legendary Oscar party. “Campaign Hollywood” stretches the prestige in to a week of events for advertisers who make year-long commitments to the Conde Nast publication. The publisher bridges key advertisers to Hollywood’s big week. This year Chrysler and L’Oreal have stepped up to be the co-“campaigners”.
On Thursday, Richard Mille and VF toast “Fox Searchlight Pictures” present and past with 200 of their closest friends. “Jai ho!”
“The Beverly Hills Border”
A mile west down Sunset from the Chateau, Roadside Attractions will ride the elevators up to Soho House to celebrate their nominees “Biutiful” and “Winter’s Bone” at a Grey Goose sponsored party.
Meanwhile on the ground floor of the Luckman Tower, Leann Rimes and David Foster will perform at the “Dare2Care” Cocktail party inside Boa. The Ultimat Vodka bash benefits the Leeza Gibbons’ Memory Foundation. Jamie Lee Curtis and Hill Harper will pick up awards in front of Kevin Spacey, Aaron Eckhardt, Jennifer Grey, and Magic Johnson amongst others. Suitwise, expect Haim Saban and LA Phil Chair David Bohnett.
“Trade Thursday”
While Variety sponsors the Gibbons event, The Hollywood Reporter re-ups with party-friendly Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for their second annual Nominees’ party at the Mayor’s residence near Hancock Park.
Earlier in the day, Essence brings together “Black Women in Hollywood” for a luncheon.
Friday – Feb. 26
“Women in Film Cocktail Party”
Direct Your Car to: Soho House
Logline: Women in Film kickstarted the kudos early. They singled out “The Kids Are All Right” writer/director Lisa Cholodenko at the group’s annual Crystal + Lucy Awards last June. Eight months later they’ve relocated their posh pre-Oscar weekend happy hour soiree from Peter Guber’s Bel-Air estate to equally lofty real estate in the popular Roof Garden at Soho House.
Starpower: Hosts/Academy Award winners Halle Berry, Producer Cathy Schulman (President of WIF), and a wave of 2011 female nominees.
What to Expect: A few heartfelt toasts met with genuine attention by a crowd of about 200. Organizers promise “Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Champagne will be flowing” at the event that usually has an army of roaming bottle butlers within arm’s reach at all times.
The Goodies: MAC’s Director of Makeup Artistry Gregory Arlt picked the bouquet of beauty products going in to the giftbags alongside freebies from Max Mara.
“The Agency Parties”
ICM, WME, and CAA all chose Friday night.
ICM brings its competing nominees together for a dinner party at a private residence: Best Supporting Actress nominees Melissa Leo, Jacki Weaver, and Hailee Steinfeld will break bread around the same table, as Cinematography competitors Wally Pfister (“Inception”) and Roger Deakins (“True Grit”) will also rub elbows. Jesse Eisenberg, Tom Hooper, and editor competitors Jon Harris (“127 Hours”) and Andrew Weisblum (“Black Swan”) are also on the list.
At the same time, Bryan Lourd gathers CAA’s elite at a private residence, while Ari Emanuel hosts his annual WME clients-only party at his house. To further close ranks, Emanuel revoked sponsorship integrations last week.
According to L.A. Social Diary The Daily Truffle, WME is taking over Bungalow One at the Chateau on Saturday night for a “more fun” party.
VF’s “Campaign Hollywood” Friday: “DJ Night at Palihouse”
Logline: The 37-room boutique hotel on Holloway serves as ground zero for “Campaign Hollywood” all week, but this is the night VF lets down its hair, turning down the lights for a party in the Parlour.
Who to Expect: Sofia Vergara and Jennifer Love Hewitt have their dancing shoes laced. Music by female DJ’s including Mia Moretti.
Sponsors: L’Oreal Paris and Lucky Brand Jeans.
Up the street on the London Hotel Rooftop, OK Magazine celebrates the British nominees. BritWeek, a group that promotes relationships between California and Britain, joins the celeb weekly in throwing the party that will host a Raisinets screening room on site. No word on whether they’ll be screening “The Kings Speech” for film slackers still cramming at the last minute.
Saturday – Feb. 26
“Spirit Awards Swag”
Direct Your Car To: The Beach in Santa Monica
Rise and shine: It’s worth getting up early for the Official Presenters’ Gift Lounge at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Free 3D TV’s anyone? LG will ask stars to “tune in for charity” on their next generation 3D displays on the carpet and backstage. A few participants will go home with the LG’s new “Cinema 3D Television”. In case the lucky recipients ever want to go out to the old-school cinema again, AMC Theatres will be gifting the holy grail “free movies for a year” pass (includes a +1). The Ritz Carlton at Central Park tosses in a free suite stay.
Varisty gift-ologists On 3 Productions open the doors to the mega swag at 11:30 AM inside the beachside compound. Even the suite-shy Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hit this in the past.
Nearby, any physical imperfections or residual crustiness from the night before can be cured courtesy of Elle Magazine and Aveeno at the Miramar. Full beauty, facial, and massage services allow VIP invitees to turn the jaunt west of the 405 in to a quickie spa weekend.
“The MPTF Night Before Benefit”
Logline: You’re not invited. If you were, you would already know that Jeffrey Katzenberg’s MPTF benefit is poolside at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the dress is casual, and you don’t need a gift bag ever.
Unleash the Heavy Hitters: Hosted by Jennifer Aniston, Kate Capshaw & Steven Spielberg, George Clooney, Luciana & Matt Damon, Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Susan Downey & Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Oscar Hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco, Deborra-Lee Furness & Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Diane Lane & Josh Brolin, Gwyneth Paltrow, Christine Taylor & Ben Stiller, Justin Timberlake, Mark Wahlberg, Rita Wilson & Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones & Michael Douglas.
This totally press-free event could witness the six year-in-the-making Brangelina Aniston awkward moment.
“Peter Travers and Rolling Stone”
Direct Your Car to: Drai’s at The W Hollywood
Logline: “The Social Network” marketing team leveraged critic Peter Travers’ “film that defines a decade” line in to the advertising pull-quote that defined a year. On Saturday, the Rolling Stone film chief and his editors cap awards season with DJ Questlove and The Roots in Hollywood.
Star Power: Emma Stone, January Jones, Piers Morgan, Kate Walsh, Chace Crawford, Paul Rudd and many more.
Sponsors: T-Mobile USA and Skyy Infusions Dragon Fruit.
Foiled by the Oscars Themselves: The magazine’s branded restaurant and lounge RS/LA opens for regular service at Hollywood and Highland on Monday, but couldn’t host Saturday night’s events due to the Academy’s rules on venues in the complex.
Come Early for a Safari?: At a separate daytime event in the hotel, the GBK suite will be gifting a $30,000 all-inclusive trip to the Zamani Retreat Kempinski, a holistic health retreat in Zanzibar. Inside the hotel chain known for heavenly bedding, it’s appropriate that GBK will also be gifting $4000 ComforPedic mattresses. The suite runs Friday and Saturday.
Sunday – Feb. 27
“The 19th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party”
Direct your car to: the custom built tent at the Pacific Design Center
Logline: Florence (of “the Machine”) comes straight from her performance at the Academy Awards to Sir Elton’s stage. To date, John’s annual mega-benefit has raised over $25 million for AIDS research. The 9 ½ hour parade of talent down the carpet and through the tent reads like the pages of People magazine, as this is a party that’s part of the non-industry vernacular. This year, chef Ludo Lefebvre (of the popular “touring” restaurant LudoBites) serves the awards telecast meal.
Guestlist: David Furnish, Heidi Klum & Seal, Claire Danes, Christina Hendricks, Emma Roberts, Malin Ackerman, Anna Kendrick and 750 more names you know and will be seeing in the weeklies come Tuesday.
How you can virtually attend: Follow Me (@CelebSightings) for live updates and details from inside.
“Vanity Fair”
Direct Your Car to: Security Checkpoint #1 of 3 on Sunset Blvd.
Logline: All Killer, No filler. Also no giftbags. Top photographers picked to work inside events every night testify that even shooting outside arrivals at this A-list event impacts their bottom line for the entire year.
Who: All the winners, all the non-winners, and lots of first namers. In case you’re wondering, the VIP section is the entire block surrounding the Sunset Tower. There’s no segregation once inside.
Staggered “arrival times” manage the flow. 150 Guests are invited for dinner. 500 more will pass behind the giant wall blocking lookie-loos on Sunset. Some get to arrive right after the show while others must cool their heels for three and a half hours until the last arrival slot at midnight. (Last year Ben Silverman was given notice that he arrived a few minutes too early.)
Who Creates the List: Graydon Carter, Sara Marks, and Jane Sarkin are the power troika, but “some others are involved” according to an inside source.
What’s your best chance of gaining entry? Hope you win. “A little gold man always helps,” said one of the event’s producers.
How you can follow along: VF Executive Digital Editor Mike Hogan(@M1keH0gan) will be live tweeting from inside. Additional live inside coverage will be pushed out over VF’s special Iphone and Ipad Apps.
“Governor’s Ball”
Location: Upstairs at Hollywood and Highland’s Grand Ballroom.
Logline: Where winners bring their statutes to get personalized nameplates before bailing for other parties. While they wait, they can munch on one of 9000 Oscar shaped edibles prepped by Wolfgang Puck or celebrate with 1,200 bottles of Moet. Sequoia Productions produces the event for the 22nd year in a row, the same producers who handle the Primetime Emmys Governors’ Ball.
“Late Night”
After the credits roll, James Franco will kick off his own party at the Supperclub around 11 P.M. 300 guests are expected to help the host and (possible winner) decompress with ubiquitous sponsors Grey Goose and Bing at the deep Hollywood Blvd. venue.
Meanwhile up in the hills, Guy O’Seary andMadonna will again host a late-night mansion party. If there’s any leaks on this one, expect it to come from Ashton Kutcher (@AplusK) who tweeted videos from inside a similar event in the past.
Good night and Good luck.