EXCLUSIVE: Pinewood Pictures exec to leave UK outfit after three years.

Director of Pinewood Pictures Steve Christian is to step down after three years at the company.

Christian, who is also a Pinewood board member, coordinates investment advice for the UK studio’s production arm, which has backed films including Spooks: The Greater Good, Take Down, Pressure, Our Robot Overlords, Dom Hemingway, Belle, The Christmas Candle and Camera Trap.

Pinewood declined to comment on the departure while Christian was unavailable for comment.

Former CinemaNX founder and chairman Christian, who previously oversaw the development of the Isle of Man’s film investment programme, joined Pinewood Pictures in 2012 when the studio took over management of the Isle of Man’s $38.5m (£25m) Media Development Fund in return for the Isle of Man taking a 19% stake in Pinewood Group.

The studio launched its production arm in 2010 under the stewardship of former British Film Commissioner Steve Norris.

Since then Pinewood has provided equity, tax credit cashflow and gap finance, as well studio space, to selected projects. It also has a distribution arm.

The operation is a valuable player in the UK production and finance space. Films backed by the company have found mixed fortunes with critics and at the box office, with Belle proving a palpable hit but other projects faring less impressively.