Sadiq Khan hails London as the ‘City of Film’

· Stars of the British Film industry join forces to spread the message that London Is Open.

· Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy, Richard Curtis, Louis Theroux, Amma Asante, Cressida Bonas, Harry Enfield, Dominic Cooper and Jack Whitehall are among those to show their support to Sadiq Khan’s #LondonIsOpen campaign.

Actors, directors and producers of British film have joined forces to publicly show their support for London’s thriving film industry and to tell the world London is Open to creativity and talent from around the world. Leading figures including Gemma Arterton, Richard Curtis, Louis Theroux, Amma Asante, Cressida Bonas, Harry Enfield, Dominic Cooper and Jack Whitehall appear in a short film bringing to life the diversity and vibrancy of the London Film scene.

The film, created for the Mayor of London’s #LondonIsOpen campaign, was unveiled last night by Sadiq Khan at the London Film Festival’s Mayor’s Gala, ‘The European Premiere of Their Finest’. Supported by the British Film Institute and Film London, it has been released to highlight London’s role as the global centre for creative industries and the driving force in film production.

The #LondonIsOpen short film entitled ‘City of Film’ is based on famous quotes from movies and literature that tell of London’s uniqueness and openness to all those who live, visit and work here. It sees actors, directors and the Mayor himself deliver individual lines that make up the full story. Gemma Arterton, Richard Curtis, Louis Theroux, Amma Asante, Cressida Bonas, Harry Enfield, Dominic Cooper, Noel Clarke, Jack Whitehall, Gurinder Chadha and Stephen Woolley have joined Sadiq Khan in recording the lines at various locations around London.

The #LondonIsOpen campaign was launched to spread the message that London remains united, full of creativity and open for business following the EU referendum in June. That message has been echoed throughout the London Film Festival, which has shown 380 feature and short films from over 70 countries.

London has long been recognised as attracting world-class talent, film studios, crews and facilities. It’s the destination of choice for both big international productions and small-budget independent filmmakers. Thanks to a supportive business framework around the industry the capital saw £1bn of inward investment from international film production last year.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “I’m incredibly proud that London has become world-renowned in the industry for our filmmaking credentials, imagination and innovation. We have some of the oldest and best studios anywhere on the planet, the most cutting-edge post-production facilities, the crème-de-la-crème of actors, technicians and special effects artists as well as many iconic locations for filming great scenes. To maintain and grow this reputation and potential, we must continue to be outward looking, attracting the filmmakers of tomorrow to our great city. This year’s BFI London Film Festival has once again captivated audiences and showcased the best of London to the world and it is great to see so many stars of British film coming forward to show that London is open to creativity and talent.”

Clare Stewart, Director of the BFI London Film Festival said: “This year’s BFI London Film Festival is celebrating 60 years in the capital and is proud to contribute to the extraordinary wealth of creativity, culture and innovation on offer in London. From West End cinemas and our new temporary Embankment Garden Cinema to venues in local boroughs, Londoners are embracing the film and creative industries. London is a truly global city and we are committed to mirroring the capital’s rich diversity and putting inclusivity firmly on the film industry’s agenda.”

Richard Curtis, Screenwriter and Director said: “London has always had a rich film culture - I don’t much like shooting anywhere else - but it’s now really become a global hub for international film production. The city is so famous and interesting that it attracts a huge number of story-tellers and now we have the best facilities in the world to match that. London and film is a fantastic success story. Long may it continue.”

Ivan Dunleavy, Chief Executive of Pinewood Studios, said: “As Pinewood celebrates its 80^th year and Their Finest receives its European premiere, we’re proud to be part of a growing industry to which London is the gateway. From attracting world-class talent on both sides of the camera to nurturing the next generation, I look forward to seeing the creative industries in the UK thrive even further.”

Duncan Clark, President of Distribution, Universal Pictures International, said: "There’s such a diversity of films in the UK, and London is at the epicenter of that both in terms of what is produced and released. Discovering and working with amazing filmmakers is what drives our business. People around the world are looking with great interest at what London is achieving.”

The Mayor, in partnership with Barking and Dagenham Council, last week announced that they are exploring plans to build what could be the capital’s largest film studios, based in Dagenham. The Mayor has teamed up with Film London, the London Local Enterprise Panel and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham to commission a feasibility study into creating the capital’s first new TV and film production studios for at least 25 years at Dagenham East. The process will be led by Film London in close consultation with the film and television industries.