Mercedes-Benz Eco-Luxury Vehicles Arrive at the Palm Springs International Film Festival

PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Jan. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hollywood's celebrated actors and actresses descend on Southern California's desert with Mercedes-Benz eco vehicles to make their red carpet arrivals at the 23rd Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival.  As the official vehicle, Mercedes-Benz kicks-off the winter awards season supporting the annual gala and line-up of spectacular films from January 5-16, 2012.

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The highlight of the festival was the annual Awards Gala on January 7th, where celebrity presenters and honorees included, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Al Pacino, Michelle Williams, Glenn Close, Octavia Spencer, Charlize Theron, Stephen Daldry, Howard Shore, Gary Oldman, Michel Hazanavicius, Jessica Chastain, Melissa McCarthy and Jason Reitman.

The gala hosted at the Palm Springs Convention Center, featured Hollywood's top talent in addition to Mercedes-Benz clean-diesel transportation for presenters and honorees.  Mercedes-Benz offers a wide selection of BlueTEC clean diesel vehicles, from the 2012 GL350 BlueTEC and ML350 BlueTEC SUVs to the 350BlueTEC luxury sedan.  BlueTEC, the world's cleanest and most advanced diesel technology, delivers high fuel economy, responsive performance and ultra-low emissions

"Mercedes-Benz is proud to be the official vehicle and sponsor of the Palm Springs International Film Festival for the ninth consecutive year," said Jill Martinette, Mercedes-Benz Regional Marketing Manager.  "The festival is a great opportunity to showcase environmentally-friendly vehicles including our alternative fuel vehicles like BlueTEC clean diesel, which  allows drivers to be eco-conscious without compromising luxury, safety and technology."

Mercedes-Benz BlueTec clean diesel and Hybrid vehicles combine a smooth, quiet ride with better fuel economy than comparable gasoline engines making them a GREEN choice for a number of Hollywood's elite including most recently Natalie Portman, Renee Zellweger, Diane Kruger, Christina Hendricks, Freida Pinto and Dev Patel among others.  Today, Mercedes-Benz offers 8 alternative powertrain and alternative fuel vehicles from the popular S400 Hybrid to the all-new 2012 M-Class BlueTEC SUV.

Throughout the festival, Mercedes-Benz is displaying several vehicles including the SLK350 Roadster, C350 Sedan, CLS550, C250 Coupe and ML350 SUV.

About The Palm Springs International Film Festival

The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) is one of the largest film festivals in North America, welcoming 130,000 attendees each year for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries.  The Festival is also known for its annual Black Tie Awards Gala, honoring the best achievements of the filmic year by a celebrated list of talents who, in recent years, have included Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Bridges, Danny Boyle, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Colin Firth, Ron Howard, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman and Kate Winslet.

The 23rd annual Palm Springs International Film Festival is presented by Title Sponsor, the City of Palm Springs.  Renewing and new sponsors, to date, of this year's Festival include The Desert Sun, Spencer's Restaurant and KPSP Local 2.  Major sponsors include Bank of America, Penfolds, Wells Fargo, Regal Entertainment, Panavision, Chihuly Art Glass, Integrated Wealth Management, Ocean Properties Development, ASI and White-Spark Creative.  The Festival's Awards Gala is presented by Cartier and sponsored by Mercedes-Benz.

For more information, call 760-322-2930 or 800-898-7256 or visit www.psfilmfest.org.

About Mercedes-Benz USA

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States.  MBUSA offers drivers the most diverse line-up in the luxury segment with 14 model lines ranging from the sporty C-Class to the flagship S-Class sedans and the SLS AMG supercar.  

MBUSA is also responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans and smart in the US.  More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com, www.mbsprinterusa.com and www.smartusa.com.

SOURCE Mercedes-Benz USA