Kamasa exits Lionsgate to form start-up

The CEO of Lionsgate UK and Europe, Zygi Kamasa, is stepping down from the role after 15 years to set up his own film and TV outfit.

Zygi Kamasa

The veteran exec will leave at the end of July to head the as-yet-unnamed company, with Nicola Pearcey remaining president in the UK and taking on Kamasa’s responsibilities at Lionsgate.

The US studio last year restructured its UK television operations with a new production company, Further South Productions, helmed by Steve November, ITV’s former drama chief.

Lionsgate UK’s scripted strategy during Kamasa’s tenure has seen it take stakes in numerous local production companies, such as Potboiler Television, Bonafide Films, Primal Media and Kindle Entertainment.

Lionsgate UK’s in-house TV arm effectively closed as a result of the launch of Further South Productions, with the former’s development slate shifting to the latter.

Kamasa joined the studio in 2005 after it acquired his independent film distributor, Redbus Film, and renamed it Lionsgate UK.

“I’ve had an amazing tenure growing the UK business from the foundations of my own indie film distributor, Redbus, into a world-class platform overseeing franchises such as The Hunger Games, executive producing over 30 local British films and expanding into UK TV production with shows like BBC’s Motherland and The Goes Wrong Show,” said Kamasa.

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer added Kamasa had “played an important role in moving our global content platform forward over the past 15 years in the UK and Europe, and we wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”