BMWfilms.com Adds to its Pool of Talented Directors with Spike Lee

More than 75 Million People Have Viewed Short Films at BMWfilms.com

It seems most people complain that with their hectic schedules, there is less and less time to enjoy a good movie these days, despite the proliferation of celluloid at the box office or video store.

BMW has done its best to rectify this problem, with a series of extremely well crafted short films available for free at www.bmwfilms.com. The Hire, starring the extremely calm, cool and collected British actor Clive Owen, who should have been given the job as 007 in the next series of James Bond flicks (but BMW no longer pays dearly for product placements in said film series, Ford does), portrays a hired driver of extraordinary talent, always at the wheel of a BMW - as if you need to be told that last bit of information.

The eight-minute adventures, the first, John Frankenheimers Ambush having hit the cyberscreen in 2001, feature some extremely creative screenwriting and thoroughly captivating cinematography by the worlds most highly acclaimed directors, including John Woo, Joe Carnahan, Guy Ritchie, Tony Scott and Ang Lee.

A second Lee will soon take on BMWs short film challenge as well, one known for critically acclaimed films such as "Malcolm X" and "Do the Right Thing". Spike Lees canvas will need to include BMWs new 3-Series Touring, a wagon version of the popular sport sedan, which was recently completely updated as a 2006 model and is now available for sale across the country.

Lee isnt saying who he will cast to portray his lead and supporting characters in the short film, and it is unknown if Clive Owen will remain as the series star. But expect top-tier talent, as the previous films delivered superb performances by such household names as Mickey Rourke, Gary Oldman, Adrianna Lima and even pop-star Madonna.

Whats the draw? The ability to reach an online audience that has now exceeded 75 million visitors, making the series the most successful of its type ever created, and an opportunity for relatively unrestricted creativity - all-age suitability aside.

BMW previewed a "making of" documentary at the Cannes Film Festival last month, on May 18th.

If reading is more your thing, BMW is now promoting a series of six comic books based on The Hire. Like the short films, the comic books have plots that integrate a BMW into the script.