Visitors at this year's Zurich Film Festival will be able to experience Etihad Airways’ 360-degree virtual reality movie featuring Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman and get a chance to win flights to Abu Dhabi.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief executive officer, said: “We are excited to continue our partnership with one of the most prestigious cultural events in Switzerland. The sponsorship underscores our active support of global cultural events, engagement in the local communities we serve and it reinforces our long-term commitment to the Swiss market. Switzerland is an important market for our airline, which we have been serving since 2004. Travellers from cities around the world can conveniently reach Zurich and Geneva using Etihad Airways’ daily flights and the domestic and regional European services of our partner airlines, airberlin, Niki, Alitalia, Air Serbia and Etihad Regional.”

Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri, Zurich Film Festival’s co-directors, said: “We are very proud of our partnership with Etihad Airways, which helps us reach audiences worldwide. This partnership has proven to be a great fit as the Zurich Film Festival and Etihad Airways share a vision of bringing people together from across the globe through arts and culture.”

Audience Award

For the 2016 edition, Etihad Airways will sponsor the Audience Award. As the culmination of three categories, the Audience Award is one of the festival’s most prestigious and is voted for by festival visitors.  By voting, viewers have the opportunity to win two Business Class return-flights with Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi and experience the exclusive business class service of Etihad Airways, or two Economy Class return-flights with airberlin to a destination in the US. The Director of the winning film will be awarded two Business Class return-flights with Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi and three luxurious nights in a five-star hotel. What’s more; film fans who buy their movie ticket at an official Zurich Film Festival ticket counter, will receive a 20 per cent discount voucher for all flights with Etihad Airways and a reduction of CHF 20 for flights with airberlin.

Guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy Etihad Airways’ 360-degree virtual reality movie starring Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman in the main festival tent. The five-minute feature, titled ‘Reimagine’, which was first released in May 2016, immerses its viewers in a journey following Nicole Kidman through one of Etihad Airways’ new Airbus A380s flying between New York and Abu Dhabi. Each scene in the film takes on a theme intended to stimulate the senses of light, sound, motion, and conversation.

Now in its 12th year, the Zurich Film Festival showcases diverse stories from around the world with screenings of nearly 160 films, offering cinematic treats to more than 85,000 national and international visitors. Participants include both emerging and renowned filmmakers as well as buyers, sellers, distributors, media professionals and industry leaders.

The festival is internationally recognised and has attracted high profile personalities on its green carpet every year, including Hollywood celebrities Cate Blanchett, Hugh Jackman, Richard Gere, Sylvester Stallone, John Travolta, and Susan Sarandon, among others. - TradeArabia News Service