The City of Edinburgh Council will back the move to save Edinburgh Filmhouse by committing £60,000 of funding to the project.
A charity, Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd, is running a crowdfunder to open the building once more as a cinema following the collapse of the parent charity in October 2022.
If the charity which is run by former Filmhouse employees can raise sufficient funds then the owners of the building, Caledonian Heritable Limited, will agree the terms of a long lease. The cinema could then re-open and the charity believes that with a related café it would be sustainable.
The council has worked with the charity, Screen Scotland and The Scottish Government to ensure that the much-loved venue is saved for the city.
Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “We’re delighted to see the progress of the fundraising campaign and to be in a position to contribute as a Council. Crucially, this funding is in-budget and has been agreed by elected members. Alongside the wider stakeholder group, we look forward to our continued dialogue and working with Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd.
“We’re committed to having a home for cultural cinema in the heart of the city and for the wider sector going forward. Edinburgh is rightly one of the great cultural cities of the world and cultural cinema is a key part of this landscape.”
The Directors of Filmhouse (Edinburgh) said: “This is fantastic news and everyone who has their heart in the campaign will want to thank the City of Edinburgh Council for this tangible commitment to opening the doors of Filmhouse once more. Filmhouse, as a cultural institution that celebrates the art of film alongside the other artforms supported in Edinburgh, aims to re-open as soon as the total necessary funds have been raised.
“We plan to provide the broad range of cultural cinema that the city is lacking just now, as well as to host the diverse group of specialist and community film festivals which have been missing their longstanding home on Lothian Road. The funds are needed for a full refurbishment of the cinemas and public areas, including the much-loved cafe-bar.”
Director of Screen Scotland, David Smith said: “Screen Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council have worked together across the last year to support the return of the Filmhouse. It is a vital resource for Edinburgh and Scotland; providing a home for filmmakers, film lovers and film festivals, and a hub for film education. Its absence is keenly felt by us all, and Screen Scotland continues to work for its revival. Its return would signify not just the reopening of a cinema, but the return of a vital home for the artform.”
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