Rocky Romano(I)
- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Rocky Romano and Miranda Winters are the creative force and co-owners behind Winters Rock, an award-winning Los Angeles-based film and television production company celebrated for their striking and thought-provoking non-fiction content. Focused on the vast capabilities and inherent limits of the human spirit, their work delivers awe-inspiring narratives that are both locally grounded and globally significant. They are committed to telling authentic stories and creating socially conscious projects that highlight the transformative power of storytelling for the advancement of humanity.
Their expertise in storytelling and character development, coupled with a bold cinematic style provides audiences with an intimate look into diverse, tight-knit, and often underrepresented communities around the world. Their narratives have spanned from the streets of Los Angeles, California, as seen in projects like Letters to Liam, We Can't Breathe, and Gangsta Gardener, to the adrenaline-inducing waves of Portugal and Hawaii, showcased in the Emmy® award-winning HBO series The 100 Foot Wave, as well as Red Chargers, and Chasing Monsters, to the vast plains of Wyoming filming wild horses for their upcoming feature documentary Blue Zeus.
The duo's first feature film Learning to Breathe, featuring the legendary pro surfer and convicted felon Anthony Ruffo was called "one of the most important films in the history of surfing" by ESPN's Jake Howard. Edinho Leite of ESPN Brazil said of Learning to Breathe: "A sad and complex reality that goes beyond the surf community. You come out of the dark sea and still feel wet to the bones." The film went on to win five film festivals, both in the United States and abroad.
In 2015 Winters & Romano partnered with legendary big wave surfer Garrett McNamara, star of HBO's 100 Foot Wave, to create Red Chargers, a first of its kind big wave surfing competition held throughout the 2015/16 big wave season in Nazare, Portugal. The team partnered with AMG Mercedes Benz to create the competition, a red carpet gala awards event in Lisbon, Portugal, and a multi award-winning feature-length film of the same name.
In 2017, Winters and Romano were commissioned to create fifty hours of television for one of the world's first 4K networks, Insight TV, including Chasing Monsters, Modern Explorers, Extreme Iceland, Close Proximity, and 30//10 Challenge. The 30//10 Challenge would become the world's first adventure television series shot in HDR with RED cameras.
In early 2020 Winters Rock partnered with Juno award-winning pop star Keisza to create Storm, an award-winning short film featuring Keisza's music that was used to raise funds for first responders that were on the frontline during the pandemic. Under a lockdown, the team created the entire film remotely working with drone pilots in thirty six different countries. The film was showcased by W1 Curates on their wraparound tech that covers the exterior of Flannels Flagship store located at the heart of London's iconic Oxford Street, rendering its facade into an extraordinary public art exhibition.
Later that year Winters Rock collaborated with music artists Rayna Zemel, Chief Wakil, and Kelli Wakili to create We Can't Breathe, a powerful short film that showcased the George Floyd protest footage that the Winters Rock team had been on the ground filming. The film would go on to win five film festivals including the Ophellia Award: In Celebration of Hope at the Academy Award qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival. The film was used as a promotional tool by one of the activists featured to raise funds to feed the houseless in Los Angeles.
From 2022 through 2024 the Winters Rock team worked on the soon-to-be-released Blue Zeus, a compelling documentary that follows the breathtaking journey of one of Wyoming's most famous wild mustangs, Blue Zeus, filmed amid the rugged expanses of the Red Desert. Over a year-long expedition spanning more than ten thousand miles of challenging dirt roads, Rocky, Miranda, and their dedicated team documented the untamed beauty of America's wild horses, immersing viewers in the landscapes and lives of these majestic creatures.
Narrated by Gerard Butler, executive produced by Robert Martin, Mathew Rhys and Darryl Hanna, and directed by Miranda Winters & Rocky Romano, Blue Zeus weaves together the riveting story of Blue Zeus and his family with the conservation efforts led by Skydog Sanctuary's Clare Staples. Through interviews with whistleblowers, BLM officials, cattle ranchers, lobbyists, advocates, and wildlife experts, the film exposes the complex dynamics of wild horse management and highlights the enduring spirit of America's wild horses and those fighting for their survival.
To date, the talented duo has created and directed ten television series and four feature-length films. Their work has been featured on HBO, ABC, NBC, ESPN, RTL, SKY, FOX, FUEL TV, Outside TV, Insight TV, DirecTV, and 20th Century Fox.
Their expertise in storytelling and character development, coupled with a bold cinematic style provides audiences with an intimate look into diverse, tight-knit, and often underrepresented communities around the world. Their narratives have spanned from the streets of Los Angeles, California, as seen in projects like Letters to Liam, We Can't Breathe, and Gangsta Gardener, to the adrenaline-inducing waves of Portugal and Hawaii, showcased in the Emmy® award-winning HBO series The 100 Foot Wave, as well as Red Chargers, and Chasing Monsters, to the vast plains of Wyoming filming wild horses for their upcoming feature documentary Blue Zeus.
The duo's first feature film Learning to Breathe, featuring the legendary pro surfer and convicted felon Anthony Ruffo was called "one of the most important films in the history of surfing" by ESPN's Jake Howard. Edinho Leite of ESPN Brazil said of Learning to Breathe: "A sad and complex reality that goes beyond the surf community. You come out of the dark sea and still feel wet to the bones." The film went on to win five film festivals, both in the United States and abroad.
In 2015 Winters & Romano partnered with legendary big wave surfer Garrett McNamara, star of HBO's 100 Foot Wave, to create Red Chargers, a first of its kind big wave surfing competition held throughout the 2015/16 big wave season in Nazare, Portugal. The team partnered with AMG Mercedes Benz to create the competition, a red carpet gala awards event in Lisbon, Portugal, and a multi award-winning feature-length film of the same name.
In 2017, Winters and Romano were commissioned to create fifty hours of television for one of the world's first 4K networks, Insight TV, including Chasing Monsters, Modern Explorers, Extreme Iceland, Close Proximity, and 30//10 Challenge. The 30//10 Challenge would become the world's first adventure television series shot in HDR with RED cameras.
In early 2020 Winters Rock partnered with Juno award-winning pop star Keisza to create Storm, an award-winning short film featuring Keisza's music that was used to raise funds for first responders that were on the frontline during the pandemic. Under a lockdown, the team created the entire film remotely working with drone pilots in thirty six different countries. The film was showcased by W1 Curates on their wraparound tech that covers the exterior of Flannels Flagship store located at the heart of London's iconic Oxford Street, rendering its facade into an extraordinary public art exhibition.
Later that year Winters Rock collaborated with music artists Rayna Zemel, Chief Wakil, and Kelli Wakili to create We Can't Breathe, a powerful short film that showcased the George Floyd protest footage that the Winters Rock team had been on the ground filming. The film would go on to win five film festivals including the Ophellia Award: In Celebration of Hope at the Academy Award qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival. The film was used as a promotional tool by one of the activists featured to raise funds to feed the houseless in Los Angeles.
From 2022 through 2024 the Winters Rock team worked on the soon-to-be-released Blue Zeus, a compelling documentary that follows the breathtaking journey of one of Wyoming's most famous wild mustangs, Blue Zeus, filmed amid the rugged expanses of the Red Desert. Over a year-long expedition spanning more than ten thousand miles of challenging dirt roads, Rocky, Miranda, and their dedicated team documented the untamed beauty of America's wild horses, immersing viewers in the landscapes and lives of these majestic creatures.
Narrated by Gerard Butler, executive produced by Robert Martin, Mathew Rhys and Darryl Hanna, and directed by Miranda Winters & Rocky Romano, Blue Zeus weaves together the riveting story of Blue Zeus and his family with the conservation efforts led by Skydog Sanctuary's Clare Staples. Through interviews with whistleblowers, BLM officials, cattle ranchers, lobbyists, advocates, and wildlife experts, the film exposes the complex dynamics of wild horse management and highlights the enduring spirit of America's wild horses and those fighting for their survival.
To date, the talented duo has created and directed ten television series and four feature-length films. Their work has been featured on HBO, ABC, NBC, ESPN, RTL, SKY, FOX, FUEL TV, Outside TV, Insight TV, DirecTV, and 20th Century Fox.
