2023 Grand Motoring Film Festival – Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Overview

The 7th annual Grand Motoring Film Festival presented by Hilton Head Capital Partners was a huge success.  More than twenty films were featured over two days (Nov. 2/3), represented by filmmakers from across the globe as car-culture films were shown on the big-screen for both the audience and filmmakers, as selected by an esteemed panel of judges.

VIP Party

After admiring the classic and collector cars that were on display, VIP guests were welcomed to a red-carpet reception which included hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. The party was held just prior to the event, allowing film makers to mingle, compare notes, and congratulate each other on their works. A ‘step and repeat / press wall’ was also provided to commemorate the occasion.

Filmmakers and Sponsors gather at the VIP red-carpet reception
– Photo by Grand Motoring Film Festival

Guy Smith – Founder/Executive Director of G.M.F.F. with Migz (Christopher Migliozzi) – filmmaker
– photo by Grand Motoring Film Festival

The Esteemed Judges

Ben Branch

Founder and Editor of Silodrome, Ben founded Silodrome in 2010 and over the intervening 13 years it’s grown to become one of the most popular alternative automotive and motorcycle publications online. Silodrome stories have been featured by CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, and many more.​

Dutch Mandel

Longest serving Editor and publisher of Autoweek as part of 40+ years experience in the automotive industry.  His bylines have appeared in Car & Driver, Motor Trend, Sports Car Graphic, and Automotive News. ​ ​Current role as Executive Producer for Cars & Culture with Jason Stein on SiriusXM.

Jay Ward

Creative Director, Franchise at Pixar Animation Studios.  Jay consults on all Cars-related projects around the world, providing guidance for Consumer Products, Interactive, Marketing, Publishing, and Theme Park activations.  He was the automotive and later franchise creative consultant on all three ‘Cars’ film

Simone Griffeth

Professional actress and drama coach, star of the motoring films like Death Race 2000 (inspired by the Cannonball race across the country) and television series including Magnum, P.I., Hawaii Five-O, and CHiPs.  In addition Simone is an experienced film festival juror.

Tara Klein

Creative Director at Hearst Autos whose 14 years in automotive media have given her a front-row seat to the transformation of the automotive landscape.  An artist who is also a lover of rat rods!

Michael Harley

VP of Marketing & Communications at Hennessey Performance, and an automotive industry veteran, Michael has held key roles at Kelley Blue Book, J.D. Power and Associates, Autoblog, Autotrader, and Autobytel.​

Steve Chavez

30+ year creative veteran of the advertising industry, currently the US CCO for Bastion, an independent agency network overseeing brands like Mazda, GMC, Buick and Toyota

Ian Jones

SVP, Managing Director Qualfon, Ian has led creative campaigns and consumer experiences in the automotive industry with key roles at Autoweek, BBDO, and Leo Burnett for brands including GMC, Buick, Dodge, and more.

Photo by Grand Motoring Film Festival

Grand Motoring Official Selection Results:

2023 BEST OF SHOW
​Chrysler Turbine Car: Engineering A Revolution
Directed by Conor Kelley
​
INDEPENDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The 1971 Kitchen Grand Brie
Directed by Ian Beckman

BEST BRAND / IMAGE FILM
It’s Just a Car. Karma – WINNER

Directed by AJ Bleyer

BEST JOURNALISM + FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT FILM
Hope Rewarded: The Unlikely Return of North Wilkesboro Speedway – WINNER

Directed by Pam Miller

DRIVE FILM
Big Apple Outlaw – WINNER

Directed by Jean Pierre Kathoefer

BEST NARRATIVE FILM
The Gunslinger – A Rolls Royce Western – WINNER

Directed by Jeremy Heslup
​
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Rossellini Roma ‘21 – WINNER

Directed by Francesco Pira

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Chrysler Turbine Car:  Engineering A Revolution – WINNER

Directed by Conor Kelley

​BEST STUDENT FILM
Kim Jong Alfaman and The Probe: A LeMons Race – WINNER

Directed by Yasmin Sanie-Hay

Honorable Mentions:

• Clutch & Shift 
• Migz Across America: Episode 1 The Idea
• Pesto VESPA
• The Crazy Years of Speed 
• M A R S 001
• Portal 3 Fantasy
• No Brakes
• Tenacity
• Trash 2 Dash 
• EPA
• Detroit: The City of Hot Rods & Muscle Cars – Keith Famie
• Panther People 
• Building the Bull
  
  

Our Entry – Migz Across America: Episode 1 The Idea

Don’t forget to check out our entry!

Overview:

Join me as I interview some of the most influential people in the industry, cover some of the most elegant car shows in the world, visit some of the most renown supercar factories and much more!

These are only the highlights of one year of coverage (that’s a lot of legwork for one guy). The 72 plus chapters are clips of the 115 full video coverage and interviews which are also offered in a playlist that I created if you are interested in a specific interview or coverage.

Playlist: Migz Across America Full Videos

Chapters:

these are clickable links in the ‘details’ section of the film if you select ‘Watch on YouTube’ (you may have to click the ‘ … more‘ to see them).

0:00 Map Intro

1:43 Chapter Intro

3:39 Addressing the Nation

4:03 Idea Backstory

4:31 Cruising The Strip With Elvis

4:46 Creator’s Podcast – DriveTribe

5:18 Motor Vice – Tampa

5:38 SCCA Majors – Homestead Miami Speedway

6:18 South Florida Throwdown – Palm Beach International Raceway

7:21 SCCA 75 Year Anniversary Convention – Las Vegas

8:13 Rolex 24hrs – Daytona

9:27 Das Renn Treffen – South Florida

11:17 Miami Yacht Show

12:37 Miami Concours

13:38 Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance

16:46 Yacademy Track Days – Homestead Miami Speedway

18:44 Sportscar Vintage Racing Association & Trans Am Racing

22:04 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

23:35 Festivals of Speed – Amelia Island

25:24 Cars and Coffee on the Concours – Amelia Island

26:59 12 Hours of Sebring

29:05 Intro – California Trip with Interviews and Visits

29:59 Bouchon Bakery – Yountville

30:27 Napa Valley Wine Train – Napa

33:22 Visit with Mitch Bishop – Marin County

33:44 Visit to Pagani USA Headquarters – San Francisco

33:54 Ritz Carlton – Half Moon Bay

34:27 Visit to Emory Motorsports – North Hollywood

34:32 Interview with Donald W. Osbourne, ASA – Petersen Automotive Museum

34:37 Visit to Racer Magazine Headquarters – Irvine

35:12 Visit to Motorcar Gallery – Ft. Lauderdale

37:05 Celebration Exotic Car Festival – Celebration, Florida

38:33 Yacademy Track Days – Homestead Miami Speedway

39:06 Tuner Evolution – Wynwood, Miami

40:37 Luftgekühlt VI – Universal Studios, Hollywood

46:50 The Professor Run

53:11 Trip to Italy – Intro

55:23 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este

1:02:38 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa Erba

1:06:56 Ferrari Factory and Museum Tour

1:09:09 Live Broadcast from Bologna with guest Alessandro Renesis

1:11:09 Pagani Factory and Museum Tour

1:14:45 Furruccio Lamborghini Museum

1:15:15 Lamborghini Factory and Museum Tour

1:16:53 Rome Marriott Park Hotel

1:19:45 The Pantheon

1:21:04 John Wick 2 – Filming Locations

1:21:53 Vatican City

1:22:09 Castel Sant’Angelo

1:22:43 Grand Hotel De La Minerve, Roma (rooftop bar and restaurant)

1:25:13 Florence

1:26:16 Giotto’s Campanile

1:27:59 Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence cathedral)

1:28:52 Monterey Car Week

1:28:58 Carmel Mission Classic

1:34:06 McCall’s Motorworks Revival – Monterey Jet Center

1:34:41 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion – Laguna Seca

1:35:20 Corvette C8 Reveal and Cross section

1:36:06 The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering

1:38:16 Exotics on Broadway

1:39:47 Hennessey Party – The Big Sur

1:40:16 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

1:42:51 Metrowrapz – Wrap Like A King

1:44:48 Audrain’s Newport Concours & Motor Week

1:45:37 The Gathering at Rough Point

1:53:04 Hilltop Hangout – Montecristo Cigars Review

1:54:04 Cars & Coffee – Fort Adams State Park

1:55:35 Audrain Newport Concours d’Elegance

2:01:29 California Trip Intro

2:01:35 Vanderpump Rules (SUR) – Interview with Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz

2:04:02 Prestige Imports Miami – Halloween Supercar Run

2:05:19 Pagani Huayra – Project Vulcan (Track Interview)

2:06:45 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

2:14:54 Trip to London – DriveTribe Creators Party

2:16:10 Closing

How We Did It

Everything from start to finish including: event contact, travel, wardrobe and makeup, equipment, filming, directing, some original music recordings, post production (audio/video/photo editing), social media / marketing, contact/relations, and spa appointments were conducted by yours truely with the help and support of family and close friends. Therefore, I am honored to be listed with these other filmakers and production companies and am open to the idea of sponsorship. Imagine what can be accomplished with a crew and bigger budget!

2023 Grand Motoring Best of Show

Chrysler Turbine Car: Engineering A Revolution

Directed by Conor Kelley

Overview

Starting in the 1950s, Chrysler set out to disrupt the automotive industry with a multimillion-dollar turbine research program. This documentary produced by the Hagerty Drivers Foundation chronicles those efforts and is told from the point of view of the engineers and mechanics that were responsible for the futuristic jet-engine automotive program as well as the historians like Steve Lehto (@stevelehto), Jay Leno (@jaylenosgarage), and Mark Olson (@turbinecar) that have spent decades researching this incredible aspect of American car history.

To see the film online visit Hagerty Driver’s Foundation’s YouTube site click here:

To learn more about Hagerty’s National Historic Vehicle Register visit there website click here

Also check out these interviews with Diane Parker and Jonathan Klinger who explain Hagerty Drivers Foundation in their own words.

Diane Parker

Jonathan Klinger

Our Social Media

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WordPress: migzrocks.wordpress.com

MUSIC:

ReverbNation: reverbnation.com/migzrocks

About Me:

I am a singer, songwriter, and composer, who enjoys life’s journey.  I try to incorporate what I learn into everything I do. Entertainment is a big part of my life, especially music and movies. Each draws me in emotionally and inspires me.  I love to travel to less popular destinations such as Eastern Europe, Russia, Thailand, Japan and French Polynesia to name a few.  I found that many of these places have retained their mystery and some seem untouched by time.

There are many interests that have enriched my life throughout my travels.  One of those interests paired well with building my music network, and that was car culture.  The celebration of cars is always in season in Florida and I was able to take that opportunity and make it my own.  As a host, brand ambassador and news producer for DriveTribe (the largest online automotive community in the world, owned by the original presenters of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May), I covered lifestyle events around the world and interviewed influential people within those circles, thereby bridging relationships and networks while introducing and branding DriveTribe.  Alas, that was then, for at the beginning of 2022 DriveTribe closed its doors but I continued on under MigzTV retaining all content that I produced while at DriveTribe as well as the relationships it fostered. The coverage grows and the adventures continue! Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and ring that bell for updates. As always, I appreciate your support!

Best!

– Migz (Christopher Migliozzi)

Tags:

#GrandMotoringFilmFestival #2023GrandMotoringFilmFestival #HiltonHeadFilmFestival #FilmFestival #Migz #MigzTV #ChristopherMigliozzi #MigzAcrossAmerica #PopcornOctane #CarEvents #AutomotiveEvents #AutomotiveFilms #AutomotiveJournalism #HiltonHeadIsland #HiltonHeadConcoursdEleganceandMotoringFestival #ChryslerTurbineCar #HagertyDriversFoundation #Hagerty #NationalHistoricVehicleRegister