East Hampton does autumn beautifully, and on a golden evening at The Baker House 1650 that beauty had a purpose. Antonella Bertello, the owner of the storied inn, joined philanthropist Jean Shafiroff to host an autumn reception celebrating the 34th Hamptons International Film Festival, a gathering that mixed cinema, fine wine, art and a clear commitment to helping families far beyond the East End.

A Story by Award Winning Managing Editor His Highness Dr. Prince Mario-Max zu Schaumburg-Lippe.

The setting alone would have been enough to draw a crowd. The Baker House 1650 is a 17th-century, Cotswold-inspired inn, the kind of place where low beams, manicured gardens and quiet corners make every conversation feel a little more considered. Bertello, who was born in Lima, Peru, and earned her degree at Babson College, has built her reputation on that blend of warmth and polish. Guests arrived to a house that felt less like a venue and more like a private home opened generously for a good cause.

A festival with momentum

The timing could not have been better. The 34th Hamptons International Film Festival ran from October 2 to 12, 2026, opening with I Play Rocky and closing with Wicker. For more than three decades the festival has been the East End’s meeting point for filmmakers, patrons and audiences who take cinema seriously without losing the pleasure of it. This reception sat right inside that spirit: a pause between screenings to talk about the films, the season and the work that continues when the lights come up.

Shafiroff, a familiar and energetic presence at charitable gatherings on both coasts, brought that wider view into the room. Readers who follow society coverage on Zeitblatt will recognise the pattern from other recent gatherings covered here, from a royal visit marked by flags and warm welcomes to a forum where hosts used their platform to put children first. The common thread is simple: a well-hosted evening can do more than entertain. It can point people, politely but firmly, toward something worth supporting.

Wines from a filmmaker’s estate

In the glasses was a story of its own. Guests tasted wines from Mas des Infermieres, the Luberon estate of Sir Ridley Scott. The estate has been family-owned since 1992 and is certified HVE and Bee Friendly, credentials that matter to a crowd increasingly attentive to how a wine is made, not only how it tastes. In the South of France, Scott’s family property has become known for considered farming and elegant wines. In East Hampton, those bottles gave the evening a second geography: Luberon sunshine, poured a long way from home, and a reminder that film people rarely leave their sense of place behind.

Art completed the triangle. Work by Ashley Medici was showcased during the reception, giving guests something to discover between conversations. The combination worked because none of it felt forced. Film supplied the occasion, wine supplied the ritual, art supplied the surprise, and the inn supplied the calm that let all three breathe.

The cause at the centre

At the heart of the evening, though, was giving. The reception highlighted the Old Bags Luncheon in aid of the Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County. The Center was founded in 1961 and has served more than 1 million clients, a figure that puts scale behind the sentiment. Its work supports families in Palm Beach County, and the luncheon has become one of the cheerful fixtures through which that support is raised.

The next Old Bags Luncheon is set for Wednesday, February 17, 2027, and it will be co-chaired by Jean Shafiroff together with Lora Drasner and Marzia Precoda. That trio gives the event both continuity and reach. Shafiroff knows how to fill a room and, more importantly, how to make sure a room leaves knowing why it came. Highlighting a February luncheon at an October film reception might sound like a long runway, but in the charitable calendar that is exactly how successful events are built: early, personally and in good company.

That sense of long-range generosity also runs through other stories Zeitblatt readers have followed recently, including a state visit that opened a new chapter between two countries. Different continents, different guest lists, same lesson: relationships built in person tend to last, and they tend to get things done.

Who was there

The guest list reflected the crossroads the evening represented. Among those attending were Maria van Vlodrop, James McCartney, Meghan McCartney, Frederico Azevedo, Sarah Kautz, Caroline Rhoad, David McMaster, Donna Rubin, Joni Fischer, Christopher Fischer, Frank Cilione and Katrina Peebles. It was a mix of Hamptons regulars, film-festival friends and supporters of the Palm Beach cause, and the conversations moved easily between the two worlds.

By the end of the reception, the festival had one more fond memory attached to its 34th edition, The Baker House 1650 had reminded everyone why it remains one of East Hampton’s most distinctive addresses, and a luncheon still months away had gained exactly what it needs most at this stage: attention from people who show up. Photo credit: BFA / Skylar Searing.

HERBST-GLAMOUR IN DEN HAMPTONS! Jean Shafiroff und Antonella Bertello feiern Film, Wein und ein grosses Herz

Was fuer ein Abend in East Hampton! Im The Baker House 1650 wurde der Herbst gefeiert – mit Kino-Glanz, edlen Tropfen, Kunst und einer Botschaft, die zaehlt: helfen, wo Familien Hilfe brauchen. Gastgeberinnen waren Antonella Bertello, die Besitzerin des traditionsreichen Hauses, und Philanthropin Jean Shafiroff. Anlass war die 34. Ausgabe des Hamptons International Film Festival.

Die Kulisse? Ein Traum! Das Baker House 1650 ist ein vom Cotswold-Stil inspiriertes Anwesen aus dem 17. Jahrhundert – ein Ort mit Geschichte, Charme und einem Garten wie aus dem Bilderbuch. Bertello, geboren in Lima in Peru und Absolventin des Babson College, hat das Haus zu einer der feinsten Adressen der Hamptons gemacht. Wer hier eintritt, spuert sofort: Das ist kein gewoehnliches Hotel, das ist ein Zuhause auf Zeit.

Film ab fuer ein Festival mit Klasse! Das 34. Hamptons International Film Festival lief vom 2. bis 12. Oktober 2026. Eroeffnet wurde es mit I Play Rocky, als Abschlussfilm lief Wicker. Seit mehr als drei Jahrzehnten bringt das Festival Filmemacher, Foerderer und Kinofans an der Ostkueste zusammen. Der Empfang bei Bertello und Shafiroff traf genau diesen Ton: geniessen, ins Gespraech kommen – und dabei Gutes tun.

Wein mit Star-Faktor! In den Glaesern funkelte Frankreich. Serviert wurden Weine von Mas des Infermieres, dem Weingut von Sir Ridley Scott in der Luberon. Das Anwesen ist seit 1992 in Familienbesitz und traegt die Zertifizierungen HVE und Bee Friendly. Nachhaltiger Anbau, elegante Weine – das kam bei den Gaesten bestens an. Ein Hauch Suedfrankreich mitten in East Hampton!

Kunst als Ueberraschungsgast! Werke von Ashley Medici wurden an diesem Abend praesentiert und sorgten fuer Gespraechsstoff zwischen den Gaengen. Film gab den Anlass, Wein gab den Genuss, Kunst gab die Entdeckung – eine Mischung, die aufging, weil sie nie aufgesetzt wirkte.

Und dann das Wichtigste: das Herz! Im Mittelpunkt stand das Old Bags Luncheon zugunsten des Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County. Das Center wurde 1961 gegruendet und hat bereits mehr als 1 Million Klienten betreut – eine Zahl, die zeigt, wie gross der Bedarf ist und wie viel dort geleistet wird.

Das naechste Old Bags Luncheon findet am Mittwoch, 17. Februar 2027, statt. Den Vorsitz teilen sich Jean Shafiroff, Lora Drasner und Marzia Precoda. Wer Shafiroff kennt, weiss: Wenn sie einlaedt, kommt die Gesellschaft – und sie geht mit einer klaren Botschaft nach Hause. Darum wurde das Luncheon schon im Oktober in den Hamptons vorgestellt: Gute Charity beginnt frueh und ganz persoenlich.

Wer war dabei? Die Gaesteliste las sich wie ein kleines Who is who der Saison: Maria van Vlodrop, James McCartney, Meghan McCartney, Frederico Azevedo, Sarah Kautz, Caroline Rhoad, David McMaster, Donna Rubin, Joni Fischer, Christopher Fischer, Frank Cilione und Katrina Peebles. Hamptons, Film und Palm Beach – an diesem Abend passte alles zusammen.

Am Ende blieb ein Abend, der mehr war als ein schoener Termin. Das Festival bekam eine weitere unvergessliche Erinnerung, das Baker House 1650 zeigte einmal mehr seine Klasse, und ein Charity-Luncheon im Februar gewann genau das, was es jetzt braucht: Aufmerksamkeit von Menschen, die wirklich kommen. Fotocredit: BFA / Skylar Searing.

Der Autor ist Award Winning Hollywood Managing-Journalist Seine Hoheit und Exzellenz Dr.iur. Mag.iur. PRINZ MARIO-MAX ZU SCHAUMBURG-LIPPE, MAS, LL.M.

Prinz Mario-Max ist der Sohn der hochfürstlichen Würdenträger Seine Hoheit Dr. h. c. Prinz Waldemar zu Schaumburg-Lippe und Ihrer Hoheit Dr. Prinzessin Antonia zu Schaumburg-Lippe. Seine Großmutter ist Ihre Königliche Hoheit Prinzessin Feodora von Dänemark. Die Familie ist die königlich-dänische Nachoder Linie der Prinzen zu Schaumburg-Lippe, die Gründerfamilie von Hamburg, Lübeck und Kiel.

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