Stars Gather at Chanel and Charles Finch's 17th Pre-Oscar Dinner

The annual event at the iconic Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills draws a starry crowd ahead of the Academy Awards.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 11:40am

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The 17th annual pre-Oscar dinner co-hosted by Chanel and film producer Charles Finch at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills drew a star-studded crowd on the Saturday night before the Academy Awards. Celebrities like Teyana Taylor, Mick Jagger, Kristen Stewart, and Wagner Moura mingled on the patio, with Oscar nominees, winners, filmmakers, and other celebrities in attendance. The event has become one of the hottest tickets in town, with Chanel's long history of supporting cinema and independent filmmaking.

Why it matters

The Chanel and Charles Finch pre-Oscar dinner is a prestigious event that brings together the top talent in the film industry ahead of the Academy Awards. It highlights Chanel's longstanding support and involvement in the movie business, dating back to the 1930s when the fashion house's founder, Gabrielle Chanel, was invited to Hollywood. The event also serves as a prelude to the main Oscar ceremony, allowing attendees to network, celebrate, and build anticipation for the big night.

The details

The patio of the Polo Lounge was packed with Oscar nominees, winners, filmmakers, and celebrities mingling and sipping drinks. Notable attendees included Jessie Buckley, who is the favorite to win best actress, as well as Maggie Kang, the co-director of the animated musical 'KPop Demon Hunters.' Chanel has a long history of supporting cinema, including collaborations with French New Wave filmmakers and helping to restore classic films like Wim Wenders' 'Paris, Texas.' The partnership with Charles Finch, who has been throwing pre-Oscar parties for about 30 years, has helped make the event one of the hottest tickets in town.

  • The 17th annual pre-Oscar dinner was held on Saturday, March 14, 2026, the night before the Academy Awards ceremony.

The players

Chanel

A French fashion house that has been tied to cinema for nearly a century, with founder Gabrielle Chanel invited to Hollywood in 1931 to design dresses for films. Chanel has continued to support the movie industry, including independent filmmaking, film restorations, and collaborations with filmmakers.

Charles Finch

A film producer who has been throwing pre-Oscar parties for about 30 years, mostly for international filmmakers who didn't have anywhere to go. His partnership with Chanel has helped make the annual pre-Oscar dinner one of the hottest tickets in town.

Jessie Buckley

An actress who is the favorite to win the best actress Oscar on Sunday. She attended the pre-Oscar dinner, noting how intimate the event felt with only a handful of photographers and reporters.

Maggie Kang

The co-director of the animated musical 'KPop Demon Hunters,' which is expected to win best animated feature and best original song at the Oscars. She was excited to be at the pre-Oscar dinner, thinking about the big performance of the film's hit song 'Golden' during the ceremony.

Jeff Bezos

The billionaire founder of Amazon, who attended the pre-Oscar dinner and was seen chatting with Sigourney Weaver and Jessica Alba.

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What they’re saying

“It's like a prelude to tomorrow, right?”

— Jessie Buckley (Associated Press)

“It's epic. It's a lot of drama. I had tears just watching the rehearsal. It was really amazing. It's going to be a big cultural moment.”

— Maggie Kang, co-director of 'KPop Demon Hunters' (Associated Press)

“Functioning in like, you know, this sort of industry, business, Hollywood slash fashion world as a kiddo is a bizarro, and with them it's always felt incredibly authentic and sort of from a storyteller's perspective, and so it doesn't surprise me that they want to support storytellers.”

— Kristen Stewart (Associated Press)

“Being on a film set reminds you that cinema is a universal language. On the film I'm working on now, the crew includes British, American, French, and Portuguese artisans — all united by one goal: to bring a story to life. That spirit is what tonight is about — and how this dinner originated: celebrating cinema, storytelling, and the storytellers who make the magic happen.”

— Charles Finch, film producer (Associated Press)

What’s next

The main Academy Awards ceremony will take place the following day, Sunday, March 15, 2026, where several of the attendees at the pre-Oscar dinner are expected to be nominated and potentially win Oscars.

The takeaway

The Chanel and Charles Finch pre-Oscar dinner has become a prestigious event that brings together the top talent in the film industry, highlighting Chanel's longstanding support and involvement in the movie business. The event serves as a prelude to the main Oscar ceremony, allowing attendees to network, celebrate, and build anticipation for the big night, showcasing the universal language of cinema and the storytellers who bring it to life.