The Better World Fund is proud to present “The Evolution of Humanity: Moving from I to We,” a prestigious event on the 21st and 22nd of May at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes during the 76th Cannes Film Festival.
The Better World Fund is a Paris-based non-profit organization that aims to raise awareness and promote tangible actions, inspiring cultural programs, and prestigious international events to positively impact our society’s future.
At the heart of the Better World Fund’s cultural thread is cinematic art in service of humanity. The organization aims to highlight and financially support individuals and groups who are committed to social and environmental causes. Each event financially supports a humanitarian project led by a non-profit organization, intending to make the public aware of the major challenges facing our planet and its future generations.
Manuel Collas de la Roche
What are the goals of Better World Fund for Manuel Collas de la Roche, President and Founder?
“Deeply humanitarian, I am convinced that we can move mountains together by providing concrete solutions to tomorrow’s challenges. After a career in the film industry, both as an actor and producer, spirituality has always been at the centre of my life. In 2016, driven by the desire to participate in this awareness movement, I launched the Better World Fund. I believe in the power of cinema to spread messages, aiming to make the public aware of the major challenges facing our planet and our children. The Better World Fund’s ambition is to highlight and financially support these actions that give hope. Thanks to the generosity of our partners and participants, we are proud to have helped numerous associations and foundations during our successful programs and events. May it be at the Cannes Film Festival, the international Venice Film Festival, in Los Angeles, in Toronto, in Monaco, in Cairo, in New York, in Saudi Arabia or even during the Expo 2020 in Dubai.”
On 22 May, our theme, “Humanity’s evolution from I to we”, will echo the United Nations International Day for Biological Diversity, which is the basis for current and future human well-being. The preservation of biodiversity is essential to ensure a sustainable future for humanity by enabling a transition to a more environmentally conscious and responsible “we”. In this sense, for this Cannes edition, we chose to support the Akbaraly Foundation, an organization that promotes the right to health, education and a better quality of life for women and children in Madagascar and the Amazônia Fund Alliance Program for the UNESCO Brazilian Federation (BFUCA).
This organization opts to preserve the Amazônian ecosystems. The Better Word Fund distinguishes itself from other charity events thanks to its unique disruptive format, offering a rich, meaningful and hopeful program. Throughout these two days, led by inspiring and emblematic personalities and experts in their social, educational, cultural or environmental fields, we will contribute to finding concrete solutions to the problems facing the contemporary world and for our future.
Our conferences provide a “plus” to the Festival through the high level of speakers as well as the inspiring and impactful themes:
Mastermind, philanthropic challenges & debate: Forum on awareness and social impact, with a focus on the influence of the film industry. With the underlying theme being the Evolution of Humanity, Moving from “I” to “We”, speakers include global leading experts such as leading world experts: Tony Nader, Leader of the Transcendental Meditation Movement; Patrice Vernay, Founder of Ewo Infinite Group; Maud Truchi, Founder of Maslina Resort; Ilana Devillers, CEO & Founder of Food4All; Sebastien Donati, Founder of Telma; Melanie Grant, Executive Director of the Responsible Jewellery Council; Sonia DIOP, President & Founder of the Legacy Forum; Kiera Chaplin, Multifaceted Businesswoman, Fashion Icon, and Activist; Benedetta Paravia, Artist, Author, Producer & Philanthropist; Cinzia Akbaraly, Founder of the Akbaraly Foundation; Ludwig Forrest, Head of Philanthropy at the King Baudouin Foundation; Alexandre de Beauharnais Romanovsky, Founder of Spectrum Vision Ventures; Max Studennikoff, Leader of the Climate Change Forum, Osmar Ribero Almeda , Vice Minister of Social Development; Célia Xacriaba, Federal Deputy of Brazil; Siddharth Batra, Legal advisor for Unitech Ltd.
Academia for a better world: Conference, in partnership with The Paris-Saclay University with renowned speakers such as Estelle Lacona, Pierre Ewes, Maria Listur, Daniela Plan and Patrick Duvet are highly recognized worldwide leaders who will share their knowledge at the conference.
Masterclass “Youth’s Got the Power: Aimed to encourage young people who design, innovate and create to be active in the metamorphosis of our society, the future leaders of our world will join hands to promote a better world for all. Speakers include Camille Aumont Carnel, Forbes 30 under 30 Lister, blogger, entrepreneur and author; Romain Valois, high school student. Founder of the urban media, Versus; Dylan Letierce, founder of the French start-up Knap, connected trolleys; Abedelhak Boutrif, founder of the “Operation Hyperion” initiative; Alicia Dadoun, actress, film, and television. Entrepreneur; and Jasmin Manke, Forbes 30 under 30 Lister, Global #1 Bestselling author.
Better World Fund also distinguishes itself by its charity gala evening in Venice, Dubai, Cannes…
On 21 May, it will be held in the prestigious reception hall of the Carlton Cannes Hotel, which was recently renovated. The gala dinner will feature a very high-quality artistic program, an award ceremony and an auction to benefit the two NGOs that the Better World Fund supports: the Akbaraly Foundation and the Amazônia Fund Alliance Program for the UNESCO Brazilian Federation (BFUCA).
- Georges Tomb, an award-winning composer and concert pianist of international fame, will host the dinner. He studied composition & orchestration with Conrad Pope and Christopher Young in Vienna.
- ARISA, the Italian pop singer, actress, writer, and TV personality: Arisa’s artistic career branches out in many directions, all illuminated by her versatile talent.
- A unique concert will be performed by LIZ MC COMB, the best of gospel, blues, soul and jazz. Liz will take us through all the states of the human condition: moving and sometimes painful, exalted but serene, ardent but sensual, and always playful.
- Celebrating young artists with the Austrian violinist and composer Yury Revich. He won the ECHO Klassik Award, the International Classical Music Award.
- Showcase by Élie BNC & a children’s Choir, “Unité“. An international artistic project is bringing together several children’s choirs worldwide.
- The guests will also be treated to an exceptional performance called Amazonia, the Spice of Life. The performance will be captured by a professional film crew from Inside Us Films and directed by Lia Beltrami, a highly accomplished filmmaker.
The Better World Fund distinguishes itself by its unique and disruptive format, offering a rich, meaningful, and hopeful program. The two-day event is led by inspiring and emblematic personalities and experts in their social, educational, cultural, or environmental fields, working towards finding concrete solutions to the problems facing the contemporary world and our future.
Through the conference program, the Better World Fund explores the essential theme of living together as our world faces climate crises and rising inflation, inequality, and violence, threatening our politics and societies. Living together is no longer an option, and the 2023 edition highlights the youth who carry our future within them, drawing us towards a “better world.” A “Youth’s Got the Power” conference gives them a voice.
Two days of amazing program encouraging a positive impact worldwide at the Carlton Cannes Hotel:
SUNDAY MAY 21ST
11.00 am: Press Conference.
07.30 pm: Cocktail Reception and Red Carpet.
08.30 pm: Sumptuous Better World Fund Gala Dinner and entertainment.
11.00 pm: Awards Ceremony and Auction.
MONDAY MAY 22ND
9.30 am to 11.00 am: Conference: “Academia for a Better World”.
11.00 am to 01.00 pm: Mastermind – “The Evolution of Humanity
02.30 pm to 04.00 pm: Masterclass: “Youth’s Got the Power
4.00 pm: Special Film screening, Maria by Callas, by Tom Volf.
We gratefully thank our partners for this Cannes 2023 Edition
An evocation close to Manuel Collas de la Roche’s heart: “I would like to mention one of the most special women and charitable hearts of our time, Matha Amritanandamayi, from Kerala, India, known as “Amma” who has dedicated her life to humanitarian projects all over the world. I was lucky enough to meet her 25 years ago and to learn about her non-profit organization “Embracing the World”. Amma has been an inspiration to me, but also because her relationship to the world, the way she “embraces” it, embodies for me the way we should think about the relationship between man, nature and our planet, moving from I to we.”
The mission is to promote a better world through cinematic art and humanitarian efforts, and this year’s event is another example of the organization’s dedication to this goal. Thanks to the extraordinary people that are part of this noble project, we are confident that the event in Cannes will be acclaimed as an important result of their vision and mission… Best wishes @ Better World Fund.
Discover even more @ Better World Fund
Article edit by Massimo Basile
Editorial Director
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