Leading UK film executive Zygi Kamasa is launching True Brit Entertainment, a UK theatrical distributor which will focus exclusively on British films and television, and co-finance over $150m of UK independent productions across its first three years.
True Brit will start investing in and acquiring UK rights to projects immediately, and build up its theatrical team in 2024. The company aims to invest in and release four to eight UK features annually, with Kamasa’s ambition being to co-finance over $50m of productions each year.
Kamasa will step down from his role as group CEO of Matthew Vaughn’s Marv Studios to spearhead True Brit. Marv will be a minority shareholder in Kamasa’s new venture, having backed the development of the new company.
Funding for True Brit comes from UK-based talent management company Three Six Zero, which represents talent including music artists Calvin Harris, Willow, Majid Jordan and Jaden Smith.
Kamasa has been a leading light of the UK industry since 1993, when he founded TV production firm Scorpio Productions. He was CEO of Lionsgate UK and Europe for over 15 years, handling UK distribution for films including La La Land and John Wick, plus The Hunger Games and The Expendables franchises.
During this time, he also executive produced and released UK titles including The Father, Brooklyn, Bend It Like Beckham and Eddie The Eagle. Kamasa joined Vaughn’s Marv in 2020 as CEO.
“I have released over 300 films in the UK in my career, 75 of which have been British films and those are the films I have enjoyed the most,” said Kamasa. “The British independent market has always delivered incredible stories from unique voices, and I think there is a huge opportunity for True Brit Entertainment to back many original projects and filmmakers. I am incredibly excited by the potential.”
“Zygi has been a great support to the Marv group as CEO since 2020,” said Vaughn. “British independent films are something I want to support more of so I’m delighted to be a small shareholder in his business and hope to find new British independent films we can make together.”
“We have always shared a similar excitement about supporting the export of British culture to the world stage with Zygi,” added Mark Gillespie, CEO of Three Six Zero. “We have always wanted to find more ways of expanding our group into films and television, and intend to utilise Zygi and his new venture as the centre of that growth.”
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