La Dame de la Croisette: Elizabeth Taylor and the Cannes Film Festival

Image: Jack Garofalo / Getty 

From her very first appearance on the Côte d'Azur as a young bride in 1957 to her final appearances as the grande dame of the amfAR Gala in the early 2000s, to the 2024 premier of Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes, Elizabeth Taylor returned to Cannes again and again — as an actress, an icon, and a conscientious human who used the festival's stage to raise money for AIDS research.

Elizabeth Taylor first arrived at Cannes in May 1957 as a new bride, alongside her husband, producer Mike Todd, to promote his epic production Around the World in 80 Days at the 10th Cannes Film Festival. The photos of her on opening night, wearing an off-the-shoulder white gown, a full-length fur coat, and a diamond tiara gifted by Todd, became some of the most defining images of her early stardom.

Throughout the rest of the 1950s and early 1960s, Elizabeth returned to the south of France many times, honeymooning, socializing, embodying the glamorous image of a Hollywood star abroad. Photographs from the period show her aboard luxury yachts, strolling the cobbled streets, and sunning on the terrace of the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes.

By the time she returned to the red carpet at Cannes in 1987 — now in her mid-fifties, accompanied by George Hamilton —  Elizabeth had been transformed by life experience, personal loss, and a clear mission. Having recently been a part of the formation of amfAR, Cannes became a place for her to show up and spread the word about the AIDS crisis, which she did while famously wearing a fiery red Nolan Miller/Mark Zunino gown.

The event that would become Elizabeth Taylor's most enduring legacy in Cannes was born on the evening of May 20, 1993, when she hosted the inaugural amfAR Gala at the Moulin de Mougins — a legendary Provençal restaurant near Grasse — under the name "Cinema Against AIDS." The premise was elegant in its logic: gather the world's most famous people in the world's most glamorous location during the world's most prestigious film festival, and use that star power and media attention to raise money for a cause the world was still struggling to face. Elizabeth, as amfAR's Founding International Chairman and arguably the biggest celebrity on the planet, was uniquely placed to make this happen. 

From that first evening, Elizabeth appeared in Cannes a handful of times to preside over the gala; in 1996, 1999, 2001, and 2002. She returned again in 2003 for the 56th International Film Festival, attending both a Giant screening from Warner Brothers and the Cinema Against AIDS Gala, serving her dual roles of film legend and the world’s first globally recognized celebrity HIV/AIDS activist.

By the time Elizabeth passed in March of 2011, the amfAR Gala was already one of the most successful annual charity events in the world. In the years since, the gala moved from the intimate dining rooms of the Moulin de Mougins to the sprawling terraces of the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, and has welcomed performers and co-chairs including Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, and scores of others. The amfAR Gala continues annually in her memory.

Through the gala, and on screen, Elizabeth continues to be a part of Cannes. At the 2013 Festival, Jessica Chastain presented a meticulously restored version of Cleopatra, in celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary. She appeared on the red carpet wearing the Bulgari sapphire and diamond sautoir that Richard Burton had given Elizabeth for her 40th birthday. In 2024, the HBO original documentary Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes premiered at the festival. Directed by Nanette Burstein, the now-critically acclaimed film offered first festival attendees, then audiences worldwide, a rare glimpse into Elizabeth’s life, told in her own words.

Cannes’ unique alchemy of international media, concentrated celebrity, and cultural prestige made it the perfect stage for Elizabeth to step out in the earlier days in the spotlight, and for her to ultimately use her incredible fame for good. To date, the gala has raised nearly $315 million for amfAR's research programs. That funding has helped transform HIV from a near-certain death sentence into a manageable chronic condition for millions of people worldwide — a real, life-saving legacy from a true icon.