Audrey Hepburn's Personal Memorabilia Auction Tops $6 Million

An employee poses alongside a display of outfits during a preview of Audrey Hepburn's personal collection. (AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas)
An employee poses alongside a display of outfits during a preview of Audrey Hepburn's personal collection. (AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas)
TT
20

Audrey Hepburn's Personal Memorabilia Auction Tops $6 Million

An employee poses alongside a display of outfits during a preview of Audrey Hepburn's personal collection. (AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas)
An employee poses alongside a display of outfits during a preview of Audrey Hepburn's personal collection. (AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas)

An auction of items from screen icon Audrey Hepburn's personal collection has made more than $6 million, including a world record for her script of the 1961 film "Breakfast at Tiffany's", Christie's announced Thursday.

The lots realized £4,635,500 ($6.21 million, 5.29 million euros), Agence France Presse quoted Christie's as saying following the 10-hour sale in London on Wednesday.

"We have been utterly delighted with the overwhelming response to the personal collection of Audrey Hepburn," said Adrian Hume-Sayer, head of sale and director of private collections at Christie's auction house.

"She is one of the greatest icons in the history of film and the incredible result so far, for part one of the collection, is a testament to her enduring appeal."

Bidding remains open online until October 4 for part two of the sale.

The British actress, who died in 1993 aged 63, was a movie and style icon from the 1950s onwards.

Dresses and coats, accessories including sunglasses, gloves and earrings as well as letters, photographs and paintings were among the 246 lots in Wednesday's sale, entitled "The Personal Collection of Audrey Hepburn".

They came from the late film legend's Swiss home.

"My mother kept it in the attic, quite literally," Hepburn's son Luca Dotti told AFP at a viewing last week.

The top-selling item on Wednesday was her working script for "Breakfast at Tiffany's", which sold for £632,750, breaking the world auction record for a movie script.

It was estimated to fetch between £60,000 and £90,000.

The parts for the character of Holly Golightly are marked in Hepburn's signature turquoise ink, with words underlined in blue ballpoint pen and pencil for emphasis.

Her working script for the 1964 film "My Fair Lady" went for £206,250.

A 1969 oil on canvas painting by Hepburn entitled "My Garden Flowers" went for £224,750.



Venice Film Festival to Give Career Award to US Director Julian Schnabel

 The 80th Venice Film Festival - Premiere for the film "Pet Shop Days" Orizzonti Extra - Red Carpet - Venice, Italy, September 3, 2023. Julian Schnabel attends. (Reuters)
The 80th Venice Film Festival - Premiere for the film "Pet Shop Days" Orizzonti Extra - Red Carpet - Venice, Italy, September 3, 2023. Julian Schnabel attends. (Reuters)
TT
20

Venice Film Festival to Give Career Award to US Director Julian Schnabel

 The 80th Venice Film Festival - Premiere for the film "Pet Shop Days" Orizzonti Extra - Red Carpet - Venice, Italy, September 3, 2023. Julian Schnabel attends. (Reuters)
The 80th Venice Film Festival - Premiere for the film "Pet Shop Days" Orizzonti Extra - Red Carpet - Venice, Italy, September 3, 2023. Julian Schnabel attends. (Reuters)

American artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel, whose movies include artist biopics "At Eternity's Gate" and "Basquiat", will be given a career award at this year's Venice Film Festival, organizers said on Wednesday.

The 73-year-old will be presented with the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award, dedicated to people who have made a particularly original contribution to contemporary cinema, on September 3, a festival statement said.

Before the ceremony, the festival will host the out-of-competition premiere of Schnabel's latest feature, "In the Hand of Dante", starring Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, Al Pacino, John Malkovich and Martin Scorsese.

"I never dreamed I would become a filmmaker, let alone be honored with this award," Schnabel said in the statement.

Festival director Alberto Barbera praised Schnabel's work as "a gift to film", calling his new feature "his most ambitious project to date".

The Venice Film Festival runs from August 27 to September 6. This year's edition is set to feature Hollywood stars, Oscar-winning directors, Asian heavyweights and European auteurs, all looking to make a splash at the start of the awards season.