Film London has released new figures illustrating the cultural and economic importance of the capital to the UK”s screen industries, with £649m generated from production activity in the city in 2015.

Furthermore, the company revealed that for every £1 of public money invested in the agency there was a yield of £250.

The news consolidates the fact that the film industry overall has attracted over £1bn of international production spend for two consecutive years – the first time this has ever happened. The figures were unveiled in Cannes by chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, Adrian Wootton. He said: “Film London supports the city”s production industries at every stage, from hot-housing the best new talent to helping to bring big-budget blockbusters to the capital.

“Since 2004 we”ve been helping this city grow in stature and reputation against fierce global competition to the extent that today we rank alongside New York and LA as one of the busiest and most popular places for film and television production. We have helped to double filming in the capital, and on any given day there will be some 50 film crews on London”s streets.”

The newly-elected Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, endorsed the news as he promised to promote London as a production hub on the international stage, commenting: “London”s screen industries are a global success story. They generate billions for the UK economy and create thousands of jobs, reinforcing London”s pre-eminent status as an international hub for both creativity and business. I look forward to working with Film London to ensure our city continues to attract significant inward investment for this hugely important sector.”

A huge amount of high-profile, international shoots have been based in the capital recently – including Wonder Woman, Doctor Strange, Kingsman 2, Bridget Jones”s Baby, Justice League and Jackie Chan”s The Foreigner.

With a whole new raft of projects due in later this year, such as Disney”s Cruella and The Nutcracker and The Four Realms, studios are booked up for months in advance as inward investment projects head to London to take advantage of the tax relief, amazing locations and experienced crew.