As Tinsel Town got ready for its biggest night of the year, Academy Award nominees and presenters joined a bevy of showbiz figures for the eighth annual Night Before party to benefit the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Money raised supports the extensive programs and services MPTF provides to more than 60,000 members of the entertainment industry every year.
The event has been held annually the night before the Academy Awards since 2003 when it instantly became one of the most coveted invitations in town.
This year's presenting sponsors were HP, Target and L'Oréal Paris. The event was once again held at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and attracted the likes of Elton, Robert Downey Jr., Penelope Cruz, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony and Jeff Bridges.
Michael Mina, of the restaurant XIV, was the featured chef at this year's sold-out gala.
"The generosity of the film and television community never ceases to amaze and none more so than Hollywood's great legacy of 'caring for our own' through support of the MPTF," said Ken Scherer, CEO of the MPTF Foundation. "Through the leadership of Jeffrey Katzenberg, the great success of the Night Before guarantees that MPTF will be able to provide financial assistance and community social services to thousands of industry workers and their families, often at their most critical time of need."
"Over the last seven years I believe the Night Before, built around the Oscar celebration, reminds us all that ours is a collaborative community, and for more than 60,000 industry members, MPTF is where they turn to for personal support, their health care and other services," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation and Chairman of the MPTF Foundation. "And all this is made possible by the support of our corporate sponsors, the companies and hundreds of individuals who give so generously to make the Night Before one of the most successful fundraisers each year in Hollywood."
The Night Before was produced for the eighth consecutive year by Robyn Leuthe Norris, with Silver Birches creating the décor for the party.
Silver Birches, with clients including ABC TV and Sir Elton, began in 1976 as a floral shop.
