Bob Smerling, President of the U.S. Cinema Group of Reading International, Inc., will be honored with this year’s “Bingham Ray Independent Spirit Award” as part of the ShowEast Final Night Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company, on Thursday, October 24, 2024 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.

The Bingham Ray Independent Spirit Award was established in 2012 in honor of one of the most beloved people in the independent film world. Each year, the award is bestowed upon an individual who has shown exemplary foresight and creativity in the world of independent film. Past recipients include Tom Prassis, Lisa Bunnell and Frank Rodriguez.

“It is with great pleasure that ShowEast honors Bob with the Bingham Ray Independent Spirit Award,” stated Andrew Sunshine, President of The Film Expo Group. “His leadership and vision in the cinema industry is unparalleled and we congratulate him on this well-deserved honor.”

Mr. Robert Smerling is the President of the U.S. Cinema Group of Reading International, Inc., which, through its various subsidiaries, has movie theater and real estate portfolios in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. With 60 movie theaters worldwide, Reading operates three cinema brands: Angelika Film Center, Reading Cinemas and Consolidated Theatres (Hawaii). Mr. Smerling currently oversees Reading’s U.S. theaters, which include the Angelika Film Center, Village East Cinema and Cinemas 123 in New York City. One of Mr. Smerling’s special focuses has been the programming of the Angelika Film Center. For decades, he has ensured that downtown New York City audiences are offered the best in independent, foreign and specialty film. He has worked alongside many of the most iconic independent film executives in the business, including Bingham Ray himself.

Mr. Smerling began his career in exhibition at the age of 13, popping popcorn in a New Jersey concession warehouse. By the time, he was 25, he was operating drive-in theaters in New Jersey on his way to becoming President of Eastern Drive-in Theaters. From 1960 to 1965, he held the position of Eastern Division Manager for General Cinema Corporation and followed this by operating his own East Coast theatre circuit, Cinema National Theaters. He also ran American Theater Management Booking serving over 300 booking clients with his partner at the time, Dan Fellman.

In 1990, Mr. Smerling joined Loews Theaters as President. While at Loews, he oversaw operations at about 600 cinemas employing about 6,000 people and the development of more than 25 new multiplex cinemas. Among Mr. Smerling’s accomplishments at Loews was the development of the Lincoln Square cinema with IMAX in New York City, which continues today to be one of the top grossing cinemas in the U.S. In 1994, he joined James J. Cotter and became the President of City Cinemas. At the time, City Cinemas owned only eight theaters in New York City. Since then, Bob has been instrumental in helping Reading International, Inc. grow its global circuit and most recently shepherding the circuit through the devastating impacts of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 Hollywood strikes.

Booking film since 1960, both for his own circuits and for a variety of other exhibitors through his booking service, Mr. Smerling continues his long and impressive career in film buying at Reading. For decades, he has been one of the savviest film buyers in the U.S., with a particularly deep understanding of New York City exhibition. His longstanding relationships and experience with major movie studios and distributors have been an asset for Reading.

Mr. Smerling is a member of the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, served as a director of the National Association of Theater Owners and has supported many industry charities during his career.

Robert is married to Dr. Kathryn Smerling, a prominent New York psychologist, and has three children – Marc, an award-winning director, writer and producer (“The Jinx”, “Capturing the Friedmans”, “All Good Things”, “Catfish”), Robyn, an attorney and former Executive Director of the Aspen Film Festival, and Matthew, currently finishing graduate school at the Bank Street School at Columbia University.

One of the independent film industry’s most ardent supporters, Mr. Smerling is honored to be this year’s recipient of the Bingham Ray Spirit Award.

About ShowEast
ShowEast will take place from October 21-24, 2024 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami, Florida. After 35+ years, ShowEast is the longest-running and most successful film convention for major, regional, and independent cinema professionals. The show will attract an estimated 2,000 domestic and Latin American motion picture industry professionals and will feature product presentations and screenings of major upcoming films, exclusive sponsored events, plus exciting and informative seminars.

About Film Expo Group
The Film Expo Group is the premier organizer of networking events in the motion picture industry. The Film Expo Group produces ShowEast, held in Miami; CineEurope, held in Barcelona; and CineAsia, held in Bangkok.