A Word from Reel Work Volunteers: Paul Ortiz and Sheila Payne

Since 2002, the Reel Work May Day Labor Film Festival has taken place in California's central coast communities in and around Santa Cruz during the week of May First.

Reel Work presents cultural events, bringing together documentary film producers, workers, activists, students, and the public with the goal of increasing awareness of the central role of work in our lives, to discuss economic and global justice issues, and to bring alive the history and culture of the labor movement in the US and abroad. We highlight how workers and community members band together in united effort for mutual benefit to achieve justice and dignity in the streets, fields, and workshops.

We inspire people to join in the struggle for worker rights locally, nationally and globally to achieve social justice and international solidarity.

We hope that you will become a part of Reel Work! We are an all-volunteer festival and hope that you will join to help us plan Reel Work 2009 and beyond! Are you an aspiring social justice film maker? Visit our main web site at www.reelwork.org for information on how to submit a film to next year’s festival.

In Solidarity,

Paul Ortiz

Sheila Payne, Reel Work Volunteers