HollywoodNews.com: Tonight’s the annual amFAR dinner. But with no Sharon Stone (she was ousted last year in a political squabble), the once mighty AIDS fundraiser has been eclipsed. In the last three days, Sean Penn, director Paul Haggis, and supermodel Naomi Campbell have tapped the wealthy mainstays of Cannes for their own important causes–Haiti, and Japan. Last night, Penn’s J/P Foundation raised between $500,000 and $700,000 at a swanky dinner at the Carlton Hotel.

Philanthropist Ella Krasner hosted Robert and Grace DeNiro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda, Richard Perry, Uma Thurman, Naomi Campbell, Ryan Gosling, Rosario Dawson, Faye Dunaway, Roberta Armani (a sponsor), the people from Maybach autos, a Saudi prince, Harvey Weinstein and a roomful of 200 or so people who sported diamonds and more diamonds. Sean, who is so passionate about Haiti, spoke eloquently and persuasively before auctioning off rare items like walking the red carpet with him and Thurman on Friday for the premiere of his film, “This Must Be The Place.”
Uma, by the way, donated a huge but undisclosed amount to the cause. She told me: “Life has been good to me, I’m lucky. So I want to give back.” She’s a peach.
Then: everyone headed to the Martinez Hotel for Paul Haggis’s Artists for Peace and Justice. That’s where siblings Jane and Peter Fonda ran into each other, and Haggis entertained stars from all the movies here. Money from both events went to Haiit relief. Earlier in the week, Naomi Campbell raised around $1 million for Japan relief with her fashion show.

The only big party that raised no money this week: Microsoft co founder Paul Allen fielded about half a dozen stars and tons of extras to his behemoth Octopus yacht. Allen, recovering from lymphoma, played the guitar with his rock band while guests got to see his full sized yellow submarine. Allen donated around $14 million to various charities in 2009, but on Tuesday night the party “was just to show off how much money he has,” a celebrity guest told me.

Not at Allen’s shindig: DeNiro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, or even Harvey Weinstein. And of course, no press allowed.

Tonight: the AmFAR event, with no Sharon Stone, actress/model Milla Jovovich singing a song, a tribute to Elizabeth Taylor, and two songs from a surprise guest that’s supposed to be Janet Jackson but very likely is someone else. But in Cannes: the premiere of Pedro Almodovar’s “The Skin I Live In” and a first look at Ryan Gosling in “Drive” wll steal that thunder.

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HollywoodNews.com: CBS’ ‘80s metropolitan vigilante TV series “The Equalizer” is getting a big-screen makeover by “Crash” director Paul Haggis. Project reteams Haggis with Russell Crowe who has been linked to “Equalizer” for some time.

Haggis recently finished directing Crowe in “The Next Three Days” which is set to bow in November. The “Days” director hasn’t been set to direct, only write the “Equalizer” script at this point in time.

Hollywood Reporter recaps the plot: “The original CBS series concerned the exploits of a former secret agent turned vigilante who could be hired to right wrongs.”

Edward Woodward played the famed protagonist Robert McCall, who had a ‘Godfather’ deal with his clients: He would never charge them, however, they needed to promise him that they’d repay him should he ever call with a favor.

What is holding Haggis back from the helmer’s chair is that he’s committed to direct the defunct United Artists feature, “Ranger’s Apprentice” which he co-wrote. Project went in limbo due to MGM’s financial struggles.

Photo Credit: Splash

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We’ll find out soon enough once Asger Leth releases his thriller “Man on a Ledge” in 2012. The drama – about an ex-cop threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop – already has lured Sam Worthington, Amy Adams, Jamie Bell and Anthony Mackie of “The Hurt Locker.” Now we’re learning that beautiful Elizabeth Banks will join the growing ensemble, according to Variety.

The script has a role for a female psychologist, who must talk down the disturned cop. But up to this point, I assumed that would be Adams. Maybe it’s Banks? Maybe one of them will play the cop’s love interest?

Banks certainly has plenty on her plate. Her “30 Rock” character figures to play a major role now that she’s carrying Alec Baldwin’s baby. And according to IMDB, Banks also has roles in “My Idiot Brother” with Paul Rudd as well as Paul Haggis’ “The Next Three Days” with Russell Crowe. But those films are in post-production, so Banks has time to climb out on that “Ledge” with Worthington.

More news as it comes!

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BY ROGER FRIEDMAN

The John Golden Theater on West 45th St. is small and unpleasant. That didn’t stop a ton of celebrities and well wishers from coming to see Alfred Molina and Eddie Redmayne in the Donmar Warehouse production of “Red.” The John Logan play about artist Mark Rothko is a smash and a cinch for all the main Tony Award nominations.

So we had three Oscar directors in the house: Martin Scorsese, Paul Haggis, and new winner Kathryn Bigelow. The latter was with Oscar winning “Hurt Locker” screenwriter Mark Boal.

Next, throw in Debra Winger and actor husband Arliss Howard; plus Martha Plimpton, Tobey Maguire, Alan Alda, Zach Braff, Alan Cumming, Victor Garber, Josh Hamilton, Linda Lavin, Alicia Silverstone, Rosie Perez, Matthew Settle, Jessica Walter, George C. Wolfe, Sarah Paulson, and “Sex and the City” star Cynthia Nixon.

For some it was to see Alfred Molina, whose friends call him Fred, totally bald, set the tone for a Best Actor award as the outspoken, egotistical Rothko. Both he and Redmayne are just dynamite, and Logan’s play is full of wonderful monologues and memorable lines.

Whew!That list doesn’t include the group that showed up later at the swell party at the Gotham from the “Behanding in Spokane”: Anthony Mackie, Sam Rockwell, and Christopher Walken.

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URGENT HELP NEEDED TO REBUILD AND MAINTAIN 50 SCHOOLS IN HAITI – DONATE NOW PLEASE

Before the tragic earthquake that set off a catastrophic situation in Haiti, Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ) had already been working on the ground with doctor and community organizer Father Rick Frechette in the slums of Port-au-Prince. The organization was building vital street schools that would provide an education, a warm meal, clean drinking water and hope. Following the devastating earthquake, many of those schools were destroyed.

Paul Haggis, the founder of Artists for Peace and Justice and its passionate advisory board of some of the world’s most talented actors and singers, have come back fighting and are determined to raise sustainable funding to secure a future for the children of Haiti. The goal is to secure enough funding to re-build and maintain 50 schools. Many generous donors have stepped up with a five year commitment, but there is so much still to do.

URGENT HELP NEEDED TO REBUILD AND MAINTAIN 50 SCHOOLS IN HAITI – DONATE NOW PLEASE

“The ‘street schools’ that we support for the children of the slums often provide the only meal they will eat in a day,” says Paul Haggis, APJ founder. “Schools literally save lives in a country where one out of three children die before the age of five.”

Currently, clean-up of the rubble and debris has begun in Cité Soleil with Haitian workers being paid to work alongside the architect and builders to clear away the rubble and prepare for the construction of new disaster-resistant schools. Through its generous donations, APJ has contracted Homes from the Heart (homesfromtheheart.org) as a construction partner and is partnering with Operation USA (opusa.org) to truck in building supplies as well as ship medical and humanitarian relief from the Dominican Republic.
Donations to APJ have been used directly to buy food and supplies for Saint Damien?s Hospital in Port-au-Prince, the only free pediatric hospital in the country, while funds have also been used to rent or purchase heavy equipment to clear away the dangerous debris. The exterior walls of the medical compounds have been reinforced to provide safety to the patients inside.

“APJ is different than a lot of charities. We are incredibly selective about who we work with in Haiti,” says Haggis. “We also guarantee that 100 percent of all money raised goes directly to those hospitals, schools, medical facilities and community betterment programs. We’re already making a difference and with the support of our generous donors, we will continue to build a better future for these amazing people.”

ARTISTS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE ADVISORY BOARD: Maria Bello, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Natasha Koifman, Diane Lane, Michael Stahl-David, Oliver Stone, Madeleine Stowe, Charlize Theron, Peter Tunney, Olivia Wilde

URGENT HELP NEEDED TO REBUILD AND MAINTAIN 50 SCHOOLS IN HAITI – DONATE NOW PLEASE