Richard Fay, president of domestic theatrical distribution for Lionsgate Distribution, will receive the 2012 Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award during the final night banquet and awards ceremony at this year’s ShowEast convention at the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood, Florida, on Nov. 8.

The Hassanein Award was established in 1987 and has been presented to a leader in the industry each year who has distinguished him or herself in the philanthropic community.

ShowEast managing director Robert Sunshine stated, “Richie has been at the forefront in supporting humanitarian and charitable organizations both within and outside the cinema exhibition and distribution communities and we are pleased to honor him with this prestigious award.”

Fay, a 40-year industry veteran, oversees and executes the distribution strategy for Lionsgate’s domestic film slate. His prior position was president of Summit Entertainment from 2007 to 2012. Before that, he headed his own firm, Fay Enterprises, which consulted for a number of enterprises including Deluxe Labs as well as several motion picture and in-theatre marketing companies including Movie Me and Timeplay.

Prior to starting his own firm in 2005, Fay was president of AMC Film Marketing for ten years, where he was responsible for film buying and in-theatre marketing. During his tenure at AMC, Fay was also responsible for negotiating all the film settlements with distributors and initiating aggregate film deals as AMC grew into a circuit of megaplexes.

Before working at AMC, Fay had a solid foothold in both the exhibition and distribution arenas, holding the positions of senior VP and assistant general sales manager for Sony Pictures Releasing, senior VP and head film buyer for United Artists Theatres, and VP and film buyer for Loews Theaters. He got his start in the early 1970s as a salesman for United Artists Pictures and as a booker and salesman for Warner Bros. in New York.

Fay has received many awards for his charitable work including the 1995 ShowEast Kodak Reel Award, the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens 1997 Humanitarian Award and the ShowEast 2001 Al Shapiro Distinguished Service Award.

He is a board member of The Options for Life Foundation and is a board member and former secretary of the Will Rogers Institute. He also served as VP and board member of the Motion Picture Club in New York.

ShowEast will feature screenings of upcoming major holiday films, sponsored events, seminars and a tradeshow. An estimated 1,300 members of the motion picture industry are expected to attend.