• by Tanya Gazdik , May 4, 2023

BMW is returning as a sponsor or the 2023 Cannes Film Festival with a film production starring the BMW i7 M70 xDrive.

The electric vehicle will also be featured as part of a fleet of more than 200 official event vehicles.  

The automaker is the official automotive partner of the festival, held annually in the South of France and starting on May 16 this year.

BMW’s electrified fleet will whisk guests through Cannes traffic in almost complete silence and with zero local emissions.

The new BMW Films production slated for release during Cannes shows the brand featuring current models in leading roles. 

Dating back over two decades, a succession of notable Hollywood directors has produced  short films featuring famous leading actors and their four-wheeled co-stars. 

One of the best-known examples is “Star,” which takes the audience on a dramatic ride to a film premiere in a BMW M5. The most recent BMW Films production, “The Escape” placed a BMW 5 Series sedan at the heart of a breathtaking chase scene.

Rear occupants traveling in a BMW i7 during the festival will be able to view the new BMW Films production on the 31-inch BMW Theatre Screen inside the fully electric sedan. The panoramic display extends down from the headliner and nearly spans across the full width of the interior.

The brand’s activations around the festival will be “a compelling blend of luxury, innovation, and sustainability,” Jens Thiemer, senior vice president customer and brand BMW, says in a  release.

On the water, a new type of launch from BMW will make waves with the reveal of The Icon, an electric watercraft.

The boat combines the BMW i brand’s many years of experience in electric mobility with the boat-building expertise of Tyde and a future-focused design created in the studio of BMW Group subsidiary Designworks.