London Production Revolution

‘London Day’ in Cannes marks announcements to make London even more attractive base for film productions with new Police Filming Unit and Online Permitting Portal

At the Cannes Film Festival today Film London will announce "the most comprehensive revolution in film production in London for 25 years".

Top British film-makers Stephen Frears, Gurinder Chadha and Martha Fiennes will mark the launch of the new London Filming Partnership by participating in a series of events as part of a ‘London Day’ in Cannes. The Partnership delivers a package of ground-breaking initiatives which will cement London’s position as one of the world’s leading film production centres.

The Partnership is the result of 12 months of extensive consultation between everyone involved in film production in London - industry bodies, local authorities and the major landmarks and organisations - chaired by Lord David Puttnam as part of the Film London Executive Task Force. Mayor Ken Livingstone and the London Development Agency back the Partnership, and over 80 partners have signed up already including all of London’s 33 local authorities, PACT, The Production Guild, Production Managers Association, Guild of Location Managers, Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police.

Film, TV and advertising productions in London will now benefit from:

· The first ever Metropolitan Police Filming Unit dedicated to assisting all productions filming in the capital;

· A red-tape busting ‘single online portal’ system to access information on London locations and arrange filming permissions;

· The free use of Film London location scouts for major feature film productions;

· No local authority filming charges for student and low-budget film-makers;

· Special discounts on accommodation, parking, transport and iconic locations;

· A transparent fee structure for filming across all 33 London boroughs;

· A 24 hour ‘filming hotline’ for local residents;

· A new mediation service for any film-maker involved in a local dispute;

These new benefits will deliver a massive overhaul to filming in the capital. They will ensure London remains an industry leader in an increasingly competitive international marketplace and allay any outdated perceptions of London as a difficult city to film in. Productions currently benefiting from London's film-friendly approach include The Da Vinci Code, V For Vendetta and Basic Instinct: Risk Addiction.

Film London, through the Task Force process, has also now produced a new step-by-step guide for filming in the capital and a guide for local authorities to make London film-friendly on a practical level. Both of these are available online.

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London said, “The capital offers wonderful locations. It provides the backdrop of a lively, modern and diverse city, as in Closer and Bullet Boy, as well iconic and historic landmarks, like those featured in Woody Allen's recent film. London has risen to the challenge to put it at the forefront of the international screen industries and the London Filming Partnership, led by Film London, will make the city an even easier and cheaper place to film. This agreement will make sure that film continues to deliver massive cultural and economic benefits to the capital.”

Lord Puttnam, Chair of the Film London Executive Task Force said, "This Agreement and the new Code of Practice for filming represent a very significant step forward in making London a more attractive centre for production for all of the moving image industries. We've had an incredible level of cooperation from everyone involved in the process - from those who represent the citizens of London, from the industry and from private sector organisations. I'm confident that the work of the Task Force will deliver significant benefits to all of its stakeholders."

Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of Film London said, “The London Filming Partnership will make London one of the best, easiest and most efficient places to film in the world. With the unprecedented support of everyone involved in film and media production in the capital I have no doubt that this agreement will help to keep London at the top of the international production industry. We have delivered the most comprehensive revolution in film production in London for 25 years".

Assistant Commissioner Stephen House of the Metropolitan Police Service said, "The formation of a Metropolitan Police Filming Unit is an enterprise generated in response to the requirements of both the business and residential communities of the London boroughs. This initiative has been stimulated by the Film London Executive Task Force in order to provide an integrated approach between the Police and film-makers operating in the London environs. The purpose of the new unit is to dramatically streamline and improve the efficiency of our working relationship with everyone filming in the capital."

Eric Fellner, co-chair Working Title Films, producer of Bridget Jones and Love Actually said, "I have been shooting movies in London for more than 20 years and, with the advent of Film London, this is the first time that we at Working Title feel that our films are being really helped on the ground. Perhaps even more importantly, I feel that the Film London Task Force, which I am pleased to be a member of, is genuinely succeeding in improving things to make London a more film-friendly and thus more competitive place to make movies, for everyone's benefit.”