James Franco and gorgeous girlfriend Izabel Pakzad skipped the amFAR gala afterparty amid the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday evening.
The American actor, 47, is said to have avoided the ‘chaotic and overcrowded’ event at the Domaine di Dilecta in Antibes, which was attended by scandal-plagued actor Kevin Spacey.
Leaving the H๏τel du Cap-Eden-Roc gala earlier in the evening James cut a dapper figure in a classic black tuxedo while Izabel, 29, stunned in a busty black lace gown.
The brunette actress looked sensational in the look which boasted a daringly plunging sheer corset and flowing skirt.
Izabel, who has been dating the Spiderman star since 2017, accessorised with dazzling diamond jewellery and a chic clutch.
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James Franco, 47, and gorgeous girlfriend Izabel Pakzad, 29, skipped the amFAR gala afterparty amid the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday evening
Kevin, 65, returned to the spotlight to collect a Lifetime Achievement Award at a gala in Cannes following claims the director is not welcome at the film festival
The event was reportedly overcrowded making it an uncomfortable experience even for its star-studded guest list. MailOnline have contacted amFar and James’ reps for comment.
Spacey, 65, returned to the spotlight to collect a Lifetime Achievement Award at a gala in Cannes following claims the director is not welcome at the film festival.
The controversial actor, who was cleared of Sєxual ᴀssault on four men two years ago, took the opportunity to slam ‘blacklisting’ in Hollywood.
Spacey was honoured on Tuesday at a gala hosted by the Better World Fund as he continued his return to the public eye after a lengthy UK trial in 2023 which cleared him of the allegations.
Spacey, who is making his first visit to Cannes since 2016 to promote his new film, The Awakening, was ‘recognised not only for his decades of artistic brilliance but also his enduring impact on cinema and the arts,’ according to a statement.
The gala is not an official part of the French film festival but the Carlton H๏τel plays host to much of the activities during the prestigious event in Cannes.
And now The Telegraph reports that the film festival had not extended an invitation to Spacey and organisers have denied any involvement with the actor.
A statement by the event’s organisers said he was attending an event with ‘no affiliation whatsoever to the festival’.
It said: ‘The Festival de Cannes had no involvement in, and was not informed of, either the invitation extended to Mr Spacey or the award presented during this private event.’
Leaving the H๏τel du Cap-Eden-Roc gala earlier in the evening James cut a dapper figure in a classic black tuxedo while Izabel stunned in a busty black lace gown
L-R) Elvira Gavrilova, Lucinda Lowenstein, John Terzian, Jaron Lowenstein and Kevin Spacey
The event was reportedly overcrowded making it an uncomfortable experience even for its star-studded guest list. (Will.I.am pictured)
Singer Will.I.Am commanded attention in a bright blue co-rd
Devin Brooker (pictured) is also said to have skipped the bash
Kendall Jenner’s on off boyfriend looked stylish in a leather outfit with hat and shades
Will.I.Am’s Black Eyed Pea’s bandmate APL.DE.AP (L) was also in attendance
Jessica Kistermann set pulses racing in a silver mini dress
Jason Oppenheim partied with a pals handbag
As he took to the stage at the event to accept his award he blasted Hollywood’s ‘blacklisted culture’ in his speech.
He thanked President and Founder of The Better World Fund Manuel Collas de La Roche in his speech.
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He said: ‘I want to thank Manuel, founder of the Better World Fund. What a great name. That an organization focused on doing good around the world is called a Better World. But they aren’t just doing good in name alone. And tonight demonstrates that they are even willing to take risks in doing better.
‘Since being here tonight is very personal to me, I would like to congratulate Manuel for the decision to invite me here tonight to accept this award. I mean, who would have ever thought that honoring someone who has been exonerated in every single courtroom he’s ever walked into would be thought of as a brave idea?
‘But here we are. I’ve been thinking about someone else who did what he could to make this a better world, and that was someone you saw earlier on the screen tonight, Kirk Douglas, a great American film star.
‘Now, it was a long, long time ago, so we have to try to remember the pushback that he received after he made the brave decision to stand up for a fellow colleague, the two-time Oscar-winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who had been blacklisted.
Izabel Pakzad stunned in a figure-hugging gown which she teamed with opera gloves and a feather boa
Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath, was the epitome of elegance
L-R) Caroline Scheufele and Emma Thynn and a pal partied the night away
Loujain Adada dazzled in a sequinned gown which she wore with an eye catching emerald necklace
‘From 1947 until 1960, he was blacklisted. Blacklisted, we know what that means, right?
‘It means that he could not find work as a writer in Hollywood for 13 years. But even after he was warned that if he tried to hire Trumbo as the credited screenwriter for the film, Sparticus, in 1960, he would be called a commi-lover, and his career and professional status would be canceled.
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‘We get to fight the bad guys and stand up for justice. But in real life, the choices are not always so clear. There are times when one has to stand up for principle. I have learned a lot from history. It very often repeats itself. The blacklist was a terrible time in our industry, but we must learn from it so that it never happens again.
‘Ye Kirk said those words in 2014 when he was 98 years old.
‘And of course, people know about Dalton Trumbull and the Hollywood 10, but I suspect very few of you know or have ever heard of the 475 other industry professionals whose lives were damaged or destroyed by false allegations, and they, too, were unable to find work in Hollywood during that very lengthy dark period.
‘And today, we find ourselves once again at the intersection of uncertainty and fear in the film business and beyond.’
Since 2017, more than 30 men have accused the two-time Oscar-winning actor of Sєxual ᴀssault or inappropriate behaviour, which led to Netflix axing his role on House of Cards.
In July 2023, the American Beauty star was found not guilty of ᴀssaulting four men after a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court, in one of the UK’s most high-profile #MeToo trials.