There are film festivals focusing on a full range of subjects from extreme sports to zombies to, believe it or not, mustaches. Now, there’s one just for car buffs and gearheads. If you’ll be in Monterey, California next week, E3 Spark Plugs highly recommends hitting the inaugural World Class Automotive Film & Arts Festival.
Debuting August 15, the three-day festival features screenings of multiple automotive-themed films and documentaries at the beautiful Golden State Theatre. Films on the marquis include:
- 32 Hours 7 Minutes – A documentary film chronicling the story of the U.S. Express – once known as the Cannonball Run – and the controversy shrouding the incredible secret behind the record time set on the last such illegal race nearly a quarter century ago.
- A Gullwing at Twilight: The Bonneville Ride of John Fitch – Legendary racer John Fitch, widely known as the consummate gentleman racer, takes to the Bonneville Salt Flats for one last record attempt in his signature Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing– a car he raced successfully in Europe a half a century prior. Did we mention that Fitch is doing this at 87 years old?
- Lime Rock Park: The Secret Valley of Racing – A documentary on one of the most storied race circuits in the nation, located at the site of an old rock quarry in the spectacular northwest corner of Connecticut in the Berkshire Mountains. The story chronicles the track’s history via interviews with a fantastic roster of former racers including Sam Posey, John Fitch, Skip Barber, and Lemans racer Butch Leitzinger–as well as famed actor/racer Paul Newman.
- Snake & Mongoo$e – This feature is based on the true story of the historic rivalry between racers Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen, who battled it out on the dusty drag racing tracks throughout the 1960s. You’ll see lots of archival National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) footage. The film is based on the journalistic work of Alan Paradise who documented the rivalry for years, and both Prudhomme and McEwen consulted on the project.
The last day of the film festival is devoted entirely to films and documentaries about the Le Mans race. Saturday screenings include an exclusive 45-minute preview of Velocity Channel’s upcoming Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans, a four-part documentary mini-series, covering Dempsey’s entry in to the world of racing, and his successes behind the wheel of a 911 GT3 RSR at Le Mans.
Between screenings, be sure to take in the massive exhibit of automotive art.
Will you attend the World Class Automotive Film & Arts? Be sure to post your stories and pics on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.
