BMW will be ensuring the glamorous arrival of the stars at the celebratory opening and prizegiving ceremony and at the gala premieres, with the motto "Joy loves the big screen". Alongside models from the current vehicle fleet, the stars will also be arriving at the red carpet in classic cars that have also "starred" in films - and which both visitors and prominent passengers will love.
Karsten Engel, Vice President Sales Germany of the BMW Group, commented on the company's involvement in the Festival as follows: "BMW can look back on a long history in films. Actors in many films have enjoyed the advantages of our vehicles over the past decades. Even top secret agents have been able to rely on their BMW when saving the world. We are happy to support the Berlin International Film Festival. Berlin is the location of our BMW motorcycle factory, a BMW Niederlassung and several dealerships. With our involvement in the capital, we are expressing our association with Berlin and our commitment to Germany as a filmmaking location."
"With the BMW Group, one of the most successful and sustainable automobile manufacturers in the world, we have won a strong partner for the Berlinale. BMW's policy for new models, which focuses on reducing consumption, fits well with the festival's objectives. I'm looking forward to launching this wonderful partnership with BMW," says Dieter Kosslick, Director of the Berlin International Film Festival.
The most successful premium manufacturer in the world has steadily expanded its cultural activities in Berlin in recent years. In Berlin at the moment, BMW is, for example, currently exclusively supporting the "Nationalgalerie Prize for Young Art" of the Friends of the National Gallery, runs "Staatsoper für alle" each year in Bebelplatz jointly with the "Staatsoper Unter den Linden" and supports the Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art, which is held every two years. The Berlin International Film Festival marks another glittering facet of the company's cultural involvement in the capital.
The Berlinale is one of the most important international film festivals in the world. Over 20,000 specialist visitors from over 136 countries, including more than 4,000 journalists, attend the festival each year. Around 400 films are shown each year. With almost 300,000 visitors, the Berlin Film Festival is also one of the largest festivals open to the public.