Stanley Tucci to Present Alain Ducasse With 2011 Trophee Des Arts At Annual French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF) Gala

NEW YORK, Dec. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Emmy award winner and Academy award nominee Stanley Tucci will present Alain Ducasse with the 2011 FIAF Trophee des Arts at 583 PARK AVENUE in New York, on Friday, December 9th, 2011.

The Trophee des Arts Gala will also award the Pilier d'Or to Power Corporation of Canada Chairman and Co-CEO, Paul Desmarais, Jr.

"We are honored to welcome the actor and director Stanley Tucci who is a real food connoisseur in real life and on screen with the movies Big Night and Julie & Julia," says the President of FIAF, Marie-Monique Steckel. "With his complicity, we will pay tribute to a master of the art of French gastronomy. Alain Ducasse has deeply influenced les arts de la table in the United States and the world. His boundless creativity and passion result in true artistic creations."

Born in the Southwest of France, Alain Ducasse has 25 restaurants in eight countries, and three of them—in Monaco, Paris, and London—have been awarded three Michelin stars. From New York to Washington and Las Vegas to Vieques, Mr. Ducasse has brought his expertise in the traditional art of French gastronomy to this side of the Atlantic.

"FIAF is also particularly honored to bestow the 2011 Pilier d'Or upon Paul Desmarais, Jr., a corporate leader from America's neighbor, Canada," Steckel adds. Paul Desmarais, Jr. leads the development of a diversified international management and holding company with strong positions in large European companies including Lafarge, Imerys, Total, GDF Suez, Suez Environnement, and Pernod Ricard.

Created in 1992, the Trophee des Arts distinguishes an artist or cultural icon who exemplifies FIAF's mission of French-American friendship and cross-cultural exchange. It has been bestowed upon French and American artists and cultural icons, including Lauren Bacall, Isabelle Huppert, James Ivory, Quincy Jones, Christian Lacroix, Louis Malle, Charlie Rose, Robert Wilson, and Marc Jacobs.

This annual benefit, co-hosted by Robert G. Wilmers and Paul J. Fribourg, raises funds to support FIAF's educational and cultural programs.

ABOUT FIAF
Founded in 1898, the French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF) is the leading French language and cultural center in the United States. Its mission is to create and offer New Yorkers innovative and unique programs in education and the arts that explore the evolving diversity and richness of French cultures. FIAF seeks to generate new ideas and promote cross-cultural dialogue through partnerships and new platforms of expression. www.fiaf.org

SOURCE FIAF