OREANDA-NEWS. As the main partner of the Berlin International Film Festival, Audi promotes innovative projects and highlights new content. The Berlinale Open House discussion format – a collaboration between the Berlinale and Audi – features 30 events that assemble prominent guests at the Audi Berlinale Lounge. In addition, the Audi Short Film Award is being presented for the first time this year. The award honors outstanding directing talent in the Berlinale Shorts category. The Audi Programmkino arthouse cinema program in Ingolstadt is simultaneously showing selected films from previous editions of the Berlin International Film Festival.

“Cars play a central role in many movies. They are frequently a part of the director's vision of the future,” said Luca de Meo, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG. “At the same time, we see that cinematic powers of imagination and the innovative spirit of our engineers come closer to each other than it might appear at first glance. We want to focus our attention on this cross-over at this year's Berlinale.”

The Berlinale Open House program, which was created as a result of close cooperation between the Berlinale and Audi, includes around 30 events with prominent guests. It is targeted at fans, visiting industry professionals and journalists. The agenda includes rounds of discussion, expert panels and Q&As with filmmakers, as well as late-night talks and storytelling slams. Film expert Ute Soldierer will take on hosting duties, along with host and producer Christoph Bauer. A DJ will provide evening entertainment in the Lounge. On selected days, the Berlinale Open House will examine the thematic link between the cinema, short films, design and cars.

The director of the Berlin International Film Festival, Dieter Kosslick, welcomes the involvement of Audi in the content: “Audi is a partner that contributes many creative ideas. For instance, we have worked together to develop the Audi Short Film Award: an innovation that we are presenting this year for the first time. The partnership with Audi has benefitted us greatly.”

The Audi Berlinale Lounge is opening its doors at Marlene-Dietrich-Platz just in time for the start of the film festival on February 5. Open to the public, the two-story pavilion offers those attending the Berlinale the best view of the red carpet as well as a place to converse and draw inspiration. Moreover, Audi is supplying the vehicles for the 65th Berlin International Film Festival, a fleet of approximately 300 models.

The nominees for the Audi Short Film Award are all directors competing to have their films recognized as the best short film in the Berlinale Shorts section. The winner of the Audi Short Film Award, to be presented on February 14, will be selected by Wahyuni A. Hadi, director of the Singapore International Film Festival, Halil Alt?ndere, publisher of the Turkish art magazine art-ist, and Indian filmmaker Madhusree Dutta.

The premium carmaker is also involved intensively in film in Ingolstadt with the international 20 min|max short-film festival and the award-winning Audi Programmkino arthouse cinema program at Audi Forum Ingolstadt. For the first time, Audi Programmkino will be showing selected international productions from the festival during the Berlinale. As of January 28, the exact program of events will be available at www.audi.de/programmkino. 

From February 5 to 14, the Audi Berlinale Lounge will be open daily from 2 p.m. to midnight. As of January 27, the entire program of events for the Berlinale Open House as well as other information will be published at www.berlinale.de/berlinaleopenhouse and www.audi.de/berlinale.

Starting February 2, Audi City Berlin will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily as the official agency for advance tickets to the Berlinale. It will be located at Kurf?rstendamm 195, 10707 Berlin.