The refurbished bar at the Filmhouse (pic: Terry Murden)
An Edinburgh institution saved from permanent closure is once again welcoming movie fans, writes JULENA DRUMI
Glasses were being stacked behind the bar, and the reception staff were doing some last minute checks on the computer system as tradesmen scurried around ensuring everything was in working order. After three years of fund-raising, rebuilding and wondering if the effort was worth it, the Edinburgh Filmhouse was once again buzzing ahead of its big reopening.
A £2m refurbishment of its iconic Lothian Road premises fills a cultural hole that was left when this local institution was suddenly shut without warning in October 2022, just a short time after its owner, the Centre for the Moving Image, had unveiled ambitious plans for a futuristic replacement venue in nearby Festival Square.
The redevelopment expands the number of screens from three to four, upgrades all projection facilities, and includes a full bar renovation, and now it is welcoming back movie fans, including regulars who will notice a similar layout, but with a significant makeover.
The refurbished bar at the heart of the venue will seat 100 guests and prioritise Scottish produce and sustainability. It has swapped the shabby students’ union look for a more handsome and relaxing nightclub style vibe.
The cinema, which originally opened in 1978 in a converted church, took the city by surprise when it admitted to financial difficulties just a year after the Covid pandemic.
Preparing to welcome the first guests (pic: Terry Murden)
The ‘Open the Doors’ campaign to rescue the venue was backed by A-list film talent including patrons Jack Lowden and Charlotte Wells, as well as Dougray Scott, Brian Cox, and Emma Thompson.
A crowdfund campaign raised more than £324,000. The charity also received financial support from Screen Scotland, Creative Scotland and the City Of Edinburgh Council, as well as £1.5m from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Community Ownership Fund, with the rest of the money coming from donations and trusts.
The Centre for the Moving Image put the building on the open market and it was acquired by Edinburgh-based bar and restaurant operator Caledonian Heritable for £2.65m. A new charity, Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd, was formed by four former members of staff, who managed to secure a 25-year lease.
The new leadership, under the chair of Ginnie Atkinson, has a vision which builds on the venue’s legacy as “a space for learning and discovery”. The team includes head of programming Rod White, cinema strategist James Rice, technical manager David Boyd, and strategic financial consultant Mike Davidson. A new executive director, Andrew Simpson, has also been appointed.
New team, from left, David Boyd, Andrew Simpson, Ginnie Atkinson (chair), James Rice and Rod White (pic: Terry Murden)
The reopened venue features enhanced comfort across its auditoriums, dual 35mm projectors in three screens, digital projection up to 4K resolution, and 5.1 audio throughout.
A fourth screen, with a capacity of 23, will be added. Technical upgrades will reinforce Filmhouse’s role as a home for festivals and international cinema, which will be good news for those keen to see the Edinburgh International Film Festival back to its former glory.
In the meantime, more than £100,000 is still needed for “vital” improvements to the projection equipment at the art house cinema to ensure the cinema can remain viable.
Ms Atkinson said: “We are still in active fundraising mode to pay for specific things. We will keep fundraising until all the work we want to do is finished.”
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