05/04/2013 - 1000 new jobs to be created in animation and television sectors

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has announced that £2 million is being invested in expanding the remit of Film London. He hopes that this investment will bring in £200 million worth of additional expenditure and create 1000 new jobs in the animation and television sectors. This was on the back of a new tax relief that has been put in place for these sectors.

Film London has generated £770 million in film investment in the last four years and hopes that expands into high-end television and animation as well. The Mayor’s additional investment will allow the agency to explore business opportunities in the vast markets of the US, India, South Africa and South America.

Johnson said, “We are at the dawn of a new golden age of TV production in London. We have an unprecedented opportunity to grow this exciting sector to deliver jobs, produce more world class British drama and, above all, make London the city of choice for TV and animation production. It’s time for London to fulfil its potential as the world leader and employer it’s destined to be in this field.”

Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of Film London and the British Film Commission said, “Having worked with the Mayor’s office for the last 10 years to transform the capital into a film friendly city, we now welcome the same task for high-end television and animation. With the new fiscal incentives, coupled with investment from the Mayor, the capital has the potential to become a world leader for the production industries, retaining and creating valuable jobs and encouraging new investment to boost the economy.”