Spike Lee directs for BMW. Short film about new 3 Series Touring / Preview of the "Making of" at the 58th Cannes Film Festival.

Munich./ Cannes./ Buenos Aires. BMW is once again setting standards with an
innovative advertising campaign. The director of the latest advertising film
for the new BMW 3 Series Touring is the famous film-maker Spike Lee ("Malcolm
X" 1992, "Do the Right Thing" 1989). The American moves away from the classic
advertising spot where the product messages take centre stage. Instead, the
critical director is focussing on another target: he is working with
philosophical questions, which are intended to make the viewer think. The
result is a richly atmospheric short film.

With this approach, BMW is following on from the tradition of the internet
short film project "The Hire" which has been running since 2001 with, in total,
eight works by Hollywood directors (John Frankenheimer, Ang Lee, John Woo,
Alejandro González Inárritu, Wong Kar Wai, Guy Ritchie, Joe Carnahan, Tony
Scott). These films, each starring two characters - a BMW and the driver,
played by British actor Clive Owen - have been seen so far by more than 75
million visitors to the www.bmwfilms.com website.

Spike Lee's short film also innovatively combines elements from advertising and
entertainment at a high level. BMW is thus fulfilling its role as a premium
brand in showing a clear, authentic profile based on the modern lifestyle of
its customers in its advertising as well as its products.
Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, Director of Marketing and Brand Management BMW,
underlines the importance of using innovative concepts to appeal to customers
in advertising too: "For the creative implementation of the project, we found a
director who finds unusual approaches exciting. Spike Lee is a film-maker who
has already stimulated the industry considerably." In addition to his films, in
which he often appears himself, the 48-year-old American also directs music
videos and advertising spots. "His experience and his philosophy", emphasises
Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, "formed the ideal basis for BMW to open up a pathway
for a new model outside the box of classical advertising messages, and to focus
on the emotional qualities of the BMW brand."

Spike Lee feels it is important to tell stories. This is also reflected in his
BMW short film. "It was important for us to focus on our customers' own living
environment", says Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes. "We are picking up the questions
and concepts that touch them personally." Advertising must keep renewing itself
and must process developments in society in order to remain credible. Torsten
Mueller-Oetvoes: "We react to these - not only in the development of our
products, but also in our advertising."

As a preview of the short film about the new 3 Series Touring , BMW is showing
an exclusive screening of the "Making of" on 18th May 2005 at the Cinecittà
Holding Terrace, located at Noga Hilton Salon Croisette, from 12 noon to 2 p.m.
on the occasion of the 58th Cannes Film Festival. Cinecittà Holding is hosting
the screening of the "Making of". From September 2005 on the advertising film
will then accompany the market launch of the 3 Series Touring in Italy. The
preview shows Spike Lee, the entire team and Director of Photography Matthew
Libatique, famous for his unusual visual imagery, during filming in Buenos
Aires, Argentina. Buenos Aires was selected as ideal location for the shooting,
thanks to its contemporary and cosmopolitan atmosphere, a mixture of modern and
classical architecture and melting pot of different cultures.

Further information on the BMW Group's commitment in the area of film as well
as photo material from the shooting are available in the BMW Group PressClub at
www.press.bmwgroup.com.

For questions please contact:

Corporate Communications

Jörg Schweizer, Public Relations, Film. Placement. Entertainment.
Telephone: +49 89 382 23250, fax: +49 89 382 20697

Michael Kirsch, General Manager Public Relations
Telephone: +49 89 382 25111, fax: +49 89 382 26972

Media Website: www.press.bmwgroup.com
e-mail: presse@bmw.de