Mission

FILM
FESTIVAL SPONSORS

MISSION

Auto dealerships across the country are closing. Hard working assembly line workers and auto suppliers are out of work. Every American, and every community is affected. What can we do? Is it enough to expect that our government should solve this problem? Or is it time for Americans to begin working together to help make a difference?

Automobiles are not mere products that contribute to our economy, they are a part of our culture. They are a part of who we are. From the time that we unwrap our first Tonka truck, to the day that we earn our driver's permit, getting behind the wheel of a car is, for many of us, an excitement that remains with us throughout our lives.

We take great pride of ownership when it comes to our vehicles. We spend countless hours washing, polishing, buffing, re-building, overhauling, painting, customizing, collecting and photographing our cars. We discuss, debate, compare, categorize, dream about, write about, lose sleep over, and yes, and even factor our cars into pre-nuptial agreements. So for many of us, seeing these great American companies in trouble has not been easy. But what can we do?

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Attend, volunteer or support the Wheels On Reels Film Festival. Why? Because the event will annually recognize one outstanding educator that has excelled in the field of teaching an automotive related career, and profits will help fund LearnFromAnExpert.org, a program that teaches advanced driving skills to newly licensed teen drivers. Did you know that the major cause of death for teens ages 16-20 is the cause of an automobile accident? We need to do a better job of teaching these kids to know what to do when they get behind the wheel of a car.

2. Call your local high school and ask if there is an auto shop program. If so, gather your friends together and pay the auto shop a visit. See what you can do to improve, help, or assist kids that might be interested in automobiles. The next Lee Iacocca could be in the class, and it could be you that inspires him!

3. If your local high school does not have an auto shop program, ask why not. I did, and found that one high school in my community was built with two auto bays, but school officials never followed through with the original plans. Because of this, one of the auto bays is currently used to conduct courses in floral arrangement. The other is a makeshift doctor's office that teaches students about careers in the medical profession. Nothing wrong there, except that the auto bays were part of the original plan so that students could learn about automobiles. I think it's relatively safe to assume that a collapse of the floral industry would have quite the same impact as the auto industry. I think it's also highly unlikely that the medical profession will ever need government financing because they're lacking customers.

It's time that we devote a little bit more time to the next generation that is going to build the future generations of automobiles. For many of us, there was someone like Steve McQueen, Carroll Shelby, or Lee Iacocca that made us stop and say, hey, I want to do that! Wheels on Reels celebrates the people that inspire us, and supports programs that keep that inspiration driving full speed ahead.

Bernadine Bogdanovs
Wheels On Reels Creator & Festival Director

To request volunteer, sponsorship or advertising information contact:

Wheels On Reels
100 S. Sunrise Way, #299
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 213-6826
Info@WheelsOnReels.com
www.WheelsOnReels.com

A film by students at Marywood-Palm Valley School in Rancho Mirage, California.

Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.

- Mary Pickford