Winter Film Awards honors Jeff Gomez as 2016 Patron of the Cinema Award Winner

NEW YORK - Jan. 13, 2016 - PRLog -- New York, NY (01/14/2016): Jeff Gomez, CEO of Starlight Runner Entertainment (http://www.starlightrunner.com/index.php) and one of the film industry’s leading Transmedia Producers, will be honored with the 2016 Patron of the Cinema Award at the 2016 Winter Film Awards Independent Film Festival (http://winterfilmawards.com/wfa2016/). The WFA Board of Directors is pleased to honor Jeff, a true New Yorker who has proven his passion for the potential of cinema across his unique and varied career.

The Patron of the Cinema Award is presented annually to an individual whose career transcends their work in the cinema by branching out into other artistic media, and who shares a passion for the cinema by mentoring and nurturing up­and­coming filmmakers.

“From when he spent whole days haunting Times Square martial arts triple­features and classic movie revival houses, to the work he’s done as a producer in Hollywood and independent cinema, Jeff’s lifeblood has always been movies,” explained Board of Directors member Joseph B. Mauceri. “What fewer people realize is that Jeff has taught and mentored many young storytellers. As a catalyst his thoughtful advice and caring inspire all those around him, in any discipline. Regardless of his success or renown, Jeff always makes time for anyone he feels has a passion for their craft.”

Jeff Gomez is a creative producer best known for his innovative work in the field of transmedia storytelling, and has been responsible for creating, writing and producing story worlds such as Turok, Dinosaur Hunter, Magic: The Gathering, and Hot Wheels across comic books, videogames, web sites, animated series, and action figures.

As CEO of Starlight Runner and transmedia producer accredited by the Producers Guild of America, Jeff has worked with The Walt Disney Company (Pirates of the Caribbean), 20th Century Fox (James Cameron’s Avatar), Sony Pictures Entertainment (the Men in Black and Amazing Spider­Man franchises), Coca­Cola (Happiness Factory), Showtime (Dexter), Microsoft (Halo), Hasbro (Transformers), and Nickelodeon (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and Mark Burnett’s One Three Media (Lucha Underground).

Jeff has also supported independent films and documentaries, scaling his transmedia techniques to help smaller productions reach and engage audiences across multiple media. He’s a credited transmedia producer on such films as Hero Dogs of 9/11, Betty Page Reveals All, and In My Lifetime: The Nuclear World Project.

Beyond the entertainment industry, Jeff has been serving as an adjunct professor at City University of New York. He is a nationally recognized expert on leadership and success strategies for children and teenagers, with an emphasis on how to overcome bullying in schools. Jeff champions the concerns of young people with his Never Surrender! inspirational seminars and curricula. His pioneering work in transmedia population activation has positively impacted social and political crises in Mexico, Afghanistan, and Colombia, and he is currently working on similar projects in Australia, Canada, and the Middle East North Africa region.

Winter Film Awards is a volunteer ­run and operated 501(c)3 organization dedicated to showcasing emerging filmmakers and celebrating diversity in local and international filmmaking. The 2016 Winter Film Awards Indie Film Festival runs from February 18-27 2016 in New York City. For more information on tickets, schedules, sponsors, film descriptions and more, please visit www.WinterFilmAwards.com and find us on Facebook.