Pete Smith leaving Cineflix

Cineflix Media’s studios boss Pete Smith is exiting the company in the latest round of restructuring at the UK-North American producer-distributor.

Smith’s departure from Cineflix Studios has been widely expected since Cineflix Media moved to scale back its scripted operations in favour of unscripted programming in the US, Canada and the UK.

Former NBCUniversal International president Smith has been with Cineflix Studios since August last year, working alongside Christina Wayne to create scripted programming.

“Following a review of our operations, we’ve decided to scale down Cineflix Studios for the time being and Peter is therefore leaving the company. We’d like to thank him for his tremendous contribution to Cineflix. His expertise and insight have been invaluable. He’s a fantastic executive to work with and we will miss him,” said Cineflix co-CEO Glen Salzman added.

Going forward, Cineflix’s joint venture with former Lime Pictures creative chief Tony Wood, Buccaneer Media, will handle scripted projects. A pipeline of projects is in the works with broadcasters from the UK and North America, the company said. Smith is discussing working with Buccaneer on those and other projects, a Cineflix spokesman told TBI this morning.

Smith said: “It’s been exciting to make progress in such a short space of time while I’ve been at Cineflix. However, given this change in strategic priorities, I am leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. I’m pleased with what we accomplished at Cineflix Studios during the time I was there – in particular the creation of Buccaneer Media with Tony Wood, which has some really exciting projects in development. I wish Glen and Katherine [Buck, Cineflix’s co-CEO] and everyone else at Cineflix every success for the future.”

Furthermore, Cineflix Media executive VP Jodi Flynn is leaving the international producer-distributor later this month to launch her own production company. She will also remain an executive producer on a number of unnamed Cineflix pilots in production at US networks.

At the same time, fellow EVP Charles Tremayne has been promoted to president, production and will continue to oversee unscripted production in Canada and the US. He reports into Cineflix co-founder Salzman.

As a result of Flynn’s departure, Cineflix has begun a search for a creative director for North America, who will report into Salzman.

Further changes announced this week see Kim Bondi replacing Tremayne as EVP, production, reporting into the new divisional president; Sherri Rufh upped to senior VP, production and administration; and Lynn Van Rooyen promoted to SVP, post production.

Salzman said of the changes: “We continue to strengthen our senior production team with these promotions. Charles and Kim have delivered some of Cineflix’s biggest brands over the last few years and helped expand our slate into new areas.

“We wish Jodi every success with her new venture; this is a very exciting move for her,” he added.

Cineflix earlier this year launched a cost-saving review into its scripted business that ended with the a restructure that lead to the departures of Cineflix Productions CEO Simon Lloyd and EVP Joe Houlihan.