Elton John has dedicated an AIDS benefit dinner to the late American actress Elizabeth Taylor, an early pioneer in the fight against the disease.

Elton has called Taylor a "force of nature" and pledged she'll remain the star-studded charity event's "guiding star." Taylor died in March 2011.

Celebrities from the film and fashion worlds, as well as the realm inhabited by solely by the extremely wealthy, flocked to the amfAR dinner and auction, held May 18, 2011 at the Hotel du Cap in the Cap d'Antibes.

A-listers included Sean Penn, Kanye West, Karl Lagerfeld, Kristen Dunst and Cannes Film Festival jury members Uma Thurman and jury president Robert De Niro. The star-studded event coincided with the prestigious French Riviera cinema showcase.

The international nonprofit organization amfAR is dedicated to the battle against AIDS.

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