Bride and Prejudice director Chadha is launching the partnership

The London Filming Partnership hopes to establish the UK capital as one of the leading centres of film production.

Benefits will include a police unit dedicated to assisting productions in London, free use of location scouts on major films and discounted transport.

The scheme has the backing of mayor Ken Livingstone and the local authorities.

"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," said the capital's mayor Ken Livingstone.

The partnership is the result of 12 months extensive consultation, chaired by British producer Lord David Putnam.

Working Title's Bridget Jones films were shot in London

PACT (Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television), the Guild of Location Managers, Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police are among the 80 partners who have signed up to take part.

Initatives include no local authority filming charges for student and low-budget film-makers, and a transparent fee structure for filming across all 33 London boroughs.

The partnership will also establish a central website which provides information on London locations and helps arrange access for film-makers.

Eric Fellner, of Working Title, praised the drive to "make London a more film-friendly and thus more competitive place to make movies".

"This is the first time that we at Working Title feel that our films are being really helped on the ground," said Mr Fellner.

The Basic Instinct sequel, Risk Addiction, and Match Point, the new film from Woody Allen, are among the current films which use London as a primary location.