MONTVALE, N.J., Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA)
continues its twelfth-year partnership and commitment to the highly acclaimed
Sundance Film Festival. MBUSA is a Presenting Sponsor of the annual Festival,
which takes place this year from January 10-20 in Park City, Utah. The
company is also the sole sponsor of the Independent Feature Film Competition
that highlights the work of the dramatic and documentary filmmakers.
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According to Dave Schembri, vice president of marketing for MBUSA,
"Mercedes-Benz is very proud to be continuing its partnership with the
Sundance Film Festival as a presenting sponsor of this premiere cultural
event," said Dave Schembri, vice president of marketing for MBUSA. "Our
alliance with the Sundance Film Festival provides us with a platform to a
reach new people through various lifestyle events such as this. We are
pleased to play a part in enabling the very best in creativity, innovation,
aspiration and accomplishment."
As part of the its support of the Festival, MBUSA also provides a fleet of
its popular M-Class sport utility vehicles and its versatile E320 4MATIC
wagons and sedans to transport filmmakers, celebrities and other VIPs to and
from Festival events. Joining the lineup in 2002 is the new G-Class sport
utility vehicle, which will make its debut at the Festival as part of this
esteemed transportation fleet.
Throughout the week a handful of celebrities will be test driving the
G500, a V8-powered high-end luxury SUV. Celebrities such as Ray Liotta, Andie
MacDowell, Benicio Del Toro, Patricia Arquette, John Corbett, Kyle MacLachlan,
Andy Garcia and John Leguizamo have been transversing the snow-covered roads
of Park City in this rugged, yet luxurious sport utility vehicle.
In addition, the 2001 M-Class, Mercedes' top-selling sport-utility
vehicle, has a starring role in two Sundance Premiere films: "The Man From
Elysian Fields," which is a fanciful tale of a struggling novelist (Andy
Garcia) who, in desperation, takes work at an escort service run by an elegant
hustler (Mick Jagger) and becomes involved in the lives of a legendary writer
(James Coburn) and his beautiful young wife (Olivia Williams); and "One Hour
Photo," starring Robin Williams, who plays a photo developer that becomes
obsessed with a suburban family whose film he has developed through the years.