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IWC Schaffhausen is the New Official ‘Festival-Time’ Partner of the Tribeca Film Festival®

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January 2013


IWC Schaffhausen underlines its passion for filmmaking with another major commitment. The Swiss watch manufacturer is now the Official ‘Festival-Time’ Partner of the world- renowned Tribeca Film Festival®, which will be held for the twelfth time in spring 2013.

President and Chief Operating Officer of Tribeca Enterprises Jon Patricof, is proud to have the Swiss watch manufacturer on board: “The Tribeca Film Festival has an international reputation for supporting new and established film-makers. We are proud to have paired up with IWC given their long-standing commitments to quality craftsmanship and the arts.” Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, agrees: “We’ve been involved in the film business for years now and are delighted to be the Official ‘Festival- Time’ Partner for the Tribeca Film Festival. Interestingly, the worlds of film and fine watch-making have a lot in common: both are based on a long tradition, both draw on the pioneering spirit, and both use their skill and expertise to create a stream of new masterpieces.”

American Roots
The Tribeca Film Festival has screened more than 1,400 films from over 80 countries since its first edition in 2002. Since its inception, the Festival has attracted an international audience of more than 4 million attendees and has generated an estimated 750 million U.S. dollars in economic activity for New York City. It was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center, to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district. Through an annual celebration of film, music and culture, the Festival unites the industry and community through storytelling.

“Becoming partners to a major film festival in the U.S. also takes us back to our roots,” explains Georges Kern. After all, it was Florentine Ariosto Jones, an American engineer and watchmaker from Boston, who founded IWC International Watch Co. back in 1868. Driven by a typically American pioneering spirit, he combined forward-looking U.S. production technologies with the skilled craftsmanship of Swiss watchmakers. Over the years, the company has expanded to become a watchmaking manufacturer of international repute.

IWC FILMMAKERS DINNER IN DUBAI
IWC FILMMAKERS DINNER IN DUBAI
IWC Filmmakers Dinner in Dubai, 10 December 2012 - From left to right: Abdulhamid Juma, DIFF Chairman; Cate Blanchett, Head of the IWC Award; Georges Kern, CEO IWC and IWC Filmmaker Award Winner Maysoon Pachachi. (PHOTOPRESS/IWC)

A Passion for the Film Business
IWC Schaffhausen has a choice selection of commitments testifying to its passion for the film industry. It has already hosted an exclusive Filmmakers Dinner at the Cannes International Film Festival on several occasions and at last year’s Dubai International Film Festival the company presented the IWC Gulf Filmmaker Award. Worth 100,000 U.S. dollars, the prize will enable the ambitious director Maysoon Pachachi to get her cinematographic vision up on the screen. “The partnership between the Tribeca Film Festival and IWC Schaffhausen significantly strengthens our commitment to the world of filmmaking,” says Georges Kern. “We’re proud to be the Official ‘Festival-Time’ Partner at next year’s event from April 17 to 28.”

IWC Watches on the Silver Screen
It’s been years now since Hollywood discovered the luxury timepieces made by IWC Schaffhausen. They have already featured in countless movies and U.S. TV series. More specifically, the main characters in the thriller “Wall Street”, box-office smash “Ocean’s Thirteen”, action- comedy “RED”, and espionage-thriller “The Bourne Legacy” have all sported watches made in Schaffhausen. They are also equally popular with the lead actors in the American TV series “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Private Practice” and “The Good Wife”. IWC watches not only see a lot of professional action but are also highly regarded in private life. Friends of the Brand include Oscar winners Kevin Spacey and Cate Blanchett as well as actors Jean Reno, Matthew Fox, and Eric Dane. Apart from this, the brand also has long-standing connections with internationally known actors, directors, and producers.

Source: IWC

See Europa Star’s feature article on watches and the cinema from the December 2012/January 2013 print edition here.