Mayor Confirms Funding For Film London

Film London has announced that the Mayor of London will continue to invest in the agency.
This commitment of funding ensures the UK capital has a dedicated film and media agency supporting and driving growth in London's production sector.
With funding in place, Film London will continue to deliver its core activities. This will include providing on the ground support - across feature films, TV, commercials, as well as online and games content - attracting productions to the capital generating vital investment and employment. Film London will also continue to cultivate new and emerging film-making talent and work towards maximising access to the captial's film culture by helping audiences to discover film in all its diversity.
The £1.3 million will ensure Film London will continue to deliver important and successful initiatives such as Film London Microwave, the award-winning training through production scheme, the London UK Film Focus (LUFF), which supports the export of UK film and the Production Finance Market (PFM) which connects financiers and producers. The funding will also allow Film London to ensure that film culture and film business can best exploit the unique opportunities offered by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "London is one of the most cinematic cities in the world and is at the epicentre of the UK film industry. Featuring in movies as diverse as the Oscar-winning independent The King's Speech to the blockbusting Harry Potter franchise, London is shrugging off the perception that it is a difficult place to shoot. Since Film London was established, filming across the city has increased by around 30% and this is in no small part of the success of Film London. I am delighted that we are able to continue to support this industry which contributes almost £4 billion to the London economy."
Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of Film London, said: "First and foremost, this is fantastic news for London. The production industries in the capital make a vital contribution to the economy through direct and indirect spend, plus they sustain and create in the region of 70,000 jobs in London and we will work to ensure this continues. The funding settlement also allows us to deliver new opportunities for the capital's aspiring filmmakers and enrich the city's film culture.
"The Mayor has been a long supporter of film and its economic and cultural benefits and I am very grateful for his continued backing and support. Since we launched in 2004 and I am very proud that Film London has had such a positive impact on the capital's production industries and I am keen to build on our previous successes and continue to deliver for the city, for our filmmakers of tomorrow and for domestic and international producers."
Film London has proved itself to be good value for money with an independent evaluation concluding that for every £1 invested in the agency, £4 comes back to the city.
In addition to the agency's regional remit for the capital, as of April 1, 2011, Film London will also be managing the national responsibility for inward investment through film, through a pubic/private partnership with key film industry bodies. The unit, which will be nationally bradded with a new Advisory Board, will retain all the core functions of the existing Office of the British Film Commission. Full details will be announced later this month.
(KMcA)