Film about car buffs up for award

Short documentary by auto shop owner and local filmmaker nominated for international honour

For many people, their car is more than just a mode of transportation. It is ingrained with fond memories and stories waiting to be told.

As the owner of an auto repair shop, Chris Germana of Motor Werke Kelowna has heard many of these stories over the years.

He decided to share some of them with the world by partnering with local filmmaker Stefan Matis, founder of Plia Film Productions, to create a short documentary highlighting five vintage-car enthusiasts.

“We provide service maintenance, repairs, diagnostics and inspections on all European brands, but every once in a while we get classic or vintage cars in that require quite a bit more, whether it’s a partial restoration or a mechanical once-over,” said Germana. “Those projects are few and far between for us, but when they do come to us we consider it a real privilege because it breaks up the usual service work we do, and it allows us to fuel the passion for why we’re here and what we do as a business.”

Several interesting cars with fascinating backgrounds and stories came through the shop, said Germana.

“I thought, wouldn’t it be great to share this with other likeminded people.”

The 12-minute documentary, The Curators, features a 1990 BMW 320i coupe, a 1973 Porsche 914, a 1967 MGBT GT, a 1988 Volvo 240 and a 1964 Mercedes 220S.

In the documentary, the car owners talk about the stories behind their cars, what the cars mean to them and their families, and provide interesting facts about the cars.

“Our intent was just to share their stories, and with what they shared with us, it really, truly made it special,” said Germana.

The Curators was recently nominated in the International Motor Film Awards.

“We certainly didn’t expect to achieve international recognition,” said Germana. “We’re humbled by it and we’re proud to represent the great people in the city we serve.”

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony Sept. 6 in England.

Matis will be attending the awards show to represent the team.

To watch the documentary, go online to vimeo.com/272039437.