BMW i7 seen at Cannes Film Festival for the first time since global debut

BMW has announced that it will be the official sponsor at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The German carmaker will promote electric vehicles and provide the official fleet with 163 electric and plug-in hybrid cars. This will also be the first public appearance of the new BMW i7 after its world premiere. As many as three BMW i7s will be deployed on the streets of Cannes.

BMW i7, which is the star attraction of the 75th Cannes Film Festival, has arrived at the French city. The i7, appearing for the first time since the official debut last month, will be ferrying VIPs, delegates and officials of the event as the German carmaker aims to promote its electric vehicles and provide the official fleet with 163 electric and plug-in hybrid cars. As many as three BMW i7s will be deployed on the streets of Cannes.

"The Cannes Film Festival and the BMW i7, with its large theatre screen, are perfectly complementary, not least because our commitment to the film industry has a long tradition," said Jens Thiemer, Senior Vice President Customer and Brand at BMW AG. “The Cannes Film Festival is also an important showcase for us, because our customers will be there. And we are particularly keen to support the Festival's commitment in terms of environmental responsibility in the face of climate issues, with our fleet of electrified cars," he added.

“The partnership between the Cannes Film Festival and BMW is the direction in which the Festival wishes to head in order to be consistent with its responsibility in the face of climate issues. BMW is an iconic brand, very present in many films, which symbolises elegance, performance and luxury, while being one of the precursors of electrification. For several years, we have noticed a strong demand to equip the Festival with electric vehicles and we finally found with BMW a partner able to meet this need," Samuel Faure, Director of Partnerships at the Cannes Film Festival, said.

As part of this new partnership, BMW is offering international guests, VIPs and officials the opportunity to experience its extensive fleet of premium electrified vehicles up close. The star of the red carpet will be the new BMW i7, which can be seen on the road for the first time since its world premiere on April 20. Three i7 electric cars will be deployed during the festival, while a fourth will be showcased on the iconic Croisette at the entrance of a hotel.

BMW i7 offers range of up to 625 kms on a single charge, according to the WLTP test cycle. The highlight of its interior is the BMW Theater Screen, a 31.3-inch panoramic OLED touchscreen, in 32:9 format and 8K resolution. It transforms the second row of seats into an exclusive cinema lounge. Moviegoers can access their personal favourite movie and video streaming schedule, while touring the Festival city.

Besides the i7, BMW will also offer electric cars like the iX, i4, iX3 as transfers between the airport, venues of the event and the hotels.