The company will focus exclusively on British feature films and TV.
For more onMarching Powderclickhere.
He also shepherded dozens of U.S. blockbusters and Oscar winners such asThe Hunger GamesandLa La Land.
Zygi KamasaDave Hogan
Heres our interview with Kamasa.
We didnt want to do a derivative version ofThe Football Factory.
He wanted to make a statement about this genre after ten years away from movie-making.
Football FactoryVertigo
DEADLINE: Why did this make sense as your first movie out the gate?
KAMASA: Both Nick and Danny have big cult followings in the UK.
There arent many places in the UK today that will fund a commercial low-budget British film like this.
Movies likeLock, Stock,Layer Cake,SnatchandBend It Like Beckhamare not being made today.
This movie is actually the key in of thing a number of British directors would be happy doing.
KAMASA: As wide as possible theatrical, 100%.
I personally think this film is a more commercial proposition thanThe Football Factory.
Its a comedy caper with action sequences and even with a romantic comedy element.
DEADLINE: What needs to happen next on the project?
Do you have your full cast in place?
KAMASA: Were just about to cast the other key roles, some of which will be newcomers.
DEADLINE: Who is Rock Star Media and how are they involved?
They worked with Nick closely in his early career.
They put money into this as we did.
We both financed it together with Altitude.
Going forward, on the right project, Ill put in equity and gap.
DEADLINE: Whats the plan for True Brit in terms of its own size and scale?
Ill see how I handle home ent down the line.
You have to be creative throughout the production process today.
Thatll be different at True Brit.
The UK distribution landscape has been thinning out for years now and has recently lost some more stalwarts.
Why do you think this is?
They were all shutting down when I was setting up Red Bus.
Those closures spawned Optimum, Studiocanal, Red Bus, and Contender, which became eOne.
Those companies all had an amazing run in the 2000s.
For every period of retrenchment, I see a period of opportunity.
It has definitely been tough.
Each company had their own reasons for retrenching.
eOne was doing well but it was a Hasbro decision to shut the UK film group.
Cameron McCracken is retiring from Pathe.
BBC Film and Film4 are essential for British film and theyre the only hope at the moment.
A couple of distributors are dabbling: Entertainment and Lionsgate, but there isnt a clear strategy.
Covid had a huge impact.
That has all had a short term impact on producers.
But I do think the films are out there.
Ill be up to five movies by summer.
DEADLINE: There have been calls for structural change to the UK independent space.
Some have proposed a public-facing film tsar or more investment from streamers.
Is that something that could still work?
KAMASA: I support anything that incentivizes the public to go and see British films.
My previous suggestion came after I had chaired the Independent Film Review at the BFI.
We didnt include it in our commission at the time because there wasnt enough support for it.
Now it seems there is enough support for it.
The UK should definitely do that.
The commercial decision on what prices cinemas choose has to be their decision.
But cinemas are doing more flexible ticket pricing today.
It makes no sense for the average consumer to pay the same price to seeAvatarasMarching Powder.
Audiences are price sensitive.
That price sensitivity exists in other fields so why is it not applied to cinema.
Im hoping I can help change that.
