The two week celebration of films kicked-off with the Gala Awards Dinner on January 8th, where celebrity presenters and honorees such as Amy Adams, Mark Wahlberg, Natalie Portman, Colin Firth, Carey Mulligan, Helen Mirren, Taylor Hackford, Aaron Eckhart, Oliver Stone, James Franco, Amy Ryan, Rashida Jones and Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Ben Affleck, Robert Duvall, director David O Russell (The Fighter), Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) and songwriter Diane Warren (Burlesque) were driven in Mercedes-Benz 2011 S400 HYBRID luxury sedans.

"For the eighth consecutive year, Mercedes-Benz is proud to support the festival and the Palm Springs International Film Society as a sponsor and official vehicle," says Jill Martinette, Mercedes-Benz Regional Marketing Manager. "The start of the festival season sets a perfect backdrop to present an environmentally friendly vehicle like the S400 Hybrid. As our flagship sedan, it's the ideal blend of luxury, safety and technology, which continues to gain a loyal following with Hollywood's eco conscious stylish set."

The S400 HYBRID features the world's first lithium-ion battery in a production vehicle. The 275-hp V6 gasoline engine provides impressive fuel economy with an estimated 30 miles per gallon on the highway.

Mercedes-Benz offers a selection of hybrids and BlueTEC clean diesel vehicles, ranging from four door sedans to seven-passenger SUVs and 14 passenger vans. Throughout the two week festival, Mercedes-Benz is displaying several additional eco-friendly vehicles including the C350 Sedan, GLK350 SUV and E350 Cabriolet. Built with 85 percent recyclable materials, all are powered by highly efficient V6 engines that achieve the California Air Resources Board's most stringent exhaust rating as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV).

Mercedes-Benz eco-friendly line-up are already the vehicles of choice for many of Hollywood's elite. Individuals such as Demi Moore, Gerard Butler, Simon Baker, Toby Maguire and Katharine McPhee among others are choosing Mercedes-Benz because it offers safety and technology with solid environmental credentials without sacrificing luxury. These vehicles range from the S400 HYBRID luxury sedan to the ML450 HYBRID mid-size SUV. Also popular are the clean diesel BlueTEC sedans and SUVs like the E350 BlueTEC and the R, ML and GL350 BlueTEC.

In 2011, Mercedes-Benz celebrates 125 years of the automobile and its future. It was Carl Benz's patent of the automobile that occurred around the same time as the invention of motion pictures. No one knew the impact that these inventions would have on society, but now more than a century later, Hollywood and Mercedes-Benz are synonymous with glamour and luxury. Both share a rich and inspirational history together - in front of the camera and behind the scenes.