Cineflix’s JC Mills to step down as president and content chief after six years

Veteran unscripted producer JC Mills is leaving his role as president and head of content at Cineflix Productions in August.

JC Mills

New York-based Mills, who has been with the company since early 2020, will stay on through a transitional period and work alongside Piers Vellacott, chief commercial officer of content. He will also continue as an executive producer on Cineflix Productions’ slate of shows for The History Channel in the US after formally leaving the company at the end of August.

Cineflix Productions, which sits inside Canadian production and distribution group Cineflix Media, is now looking for a creative executive to join its senior team, with Vellacott overseeing development and production in North America and the UK in the interim.

Mills announced his departure in a memo to staff on Wednesday. “After a great deal of reflection, I’ve decided that the time is right for me to move on from my role as Cineflix Productions’ president and head of content,” he wrote.

He added that it “wasn’t an easy decision” but felt like “the natural next step after an extraordinary six-year-plus run leading this team.”

During his time at Cineflix, Mills has overseen series including American Pickers, Greatest Picks and Mayday: Air Crash Investigation, and docs such as Nancy Buirski-directed 2022 film Desperate Souls, Dark City & the Legend of Midnight Cowboy.

Before joining Cineflix Productions, Mills was the president and general manager at Glass Entertainment Group and prior to that served as an agent at ICM Partners, director of development at National Geographic and VP of acquisitions for Zodiak Rights in North America.

Cineflix Media co-founders Glen Salzman and Katherine Buck thanked Mills for his “pivotal role in bringing hundreds of hours of premium programming to life – content that has resonated with audiences around the world and garnered recognition through renewals, press accolades, award distinctions and festival selections.”

They added: “Looking ahead, we are evolving our framework to position the company for growth and success. This new structure will strengthen our position as an ambitious content company and enable us to stay agile, competitive and focused on long-term sustainability in an evolving industry.”