[News-THR] Film London Recruits Executive to Attract Investment

The U.K. government agency, led by Adrian Wootton, has brought in David Shepheard to head up efforts to entice productions from Hollywood and beyond to shoot in the British capital.


LONDON -- Film London, the British capital's movie agency familiar to Hollywood's location decision-makers, has brought in Abu Dhabi Film Commission high flier David Shepheard to head up efforts to attract inward investment for production to the British capital.
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Shepheard joins the inward investment and business development team as senior manager. The team is headed by Helena Mackenzie.

As senior inward investment manager for Film London, Shepheard will be tasked with managing all activity related to filming in London -- from showcasing the city globally, to ensuring London remains film-friendly and ready to accommodate domestic and international film, television and animation production.

Shepheard has over 10 years of experience managing productions and most recently acted as a consultant for various U.K. media agencies.

In 2009, he was recruited to set up the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, the third film and television development agency he has launched.

Prior to Abu Dhabi, he introduced the Middle East’s first and only financial incentive for filming and was previously head of inward investment and locations at South West Screen.

Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission said: "The production industries in London are in the midst of an expansion with the new U.K. tax reliefs for television and animation now in place, and the upcoming enhancement to the film tax relief. As an agency, we are working to attract and facilitate international productions and continuing to build on our success in overturning London's reputation as a difficult place to film. I am delighted David will be driving this work forward."

The U.K. capital is currently host to various Hollywood-backed projects, including Ron Howard's In the Heart of the Sea, the preproduction for J.J. Abrams' Star Wars Episode VII and Into the Woods.