ICONIC Edinburgh cinema the Filmhouse has revealed its timeline for reopening and fans won’t have to wait long.
The independent cinema was forced to close in October 2022 after its parent company, Centre for the Moving Image (CMI) went into administration.
Now, after a £1.5m grant was awarded by the UK Government in March last year, construction can finally begin.
The closure of the cinema also prompted a Crowdfunder called “Open the Doors!” which has so far raised £318,775.
The Filmhouse, built in a former B-listed church, opened its doors in 1978 and offered a variety of films from all over the world until its closure two years ago.
As part of its £1.9m restoration, another screen will be added to the existing three, and the cafe bar and foyer will be refurbished.
Eager filmgoers will only have to wait until June to see the Filmhouse open its doors again, as work is set to finish in May.
Many celebrities have backed the campaign to see the cinema open again, including Emma Thompson, Brian Cox, and Alan Cumming.
Speaking to The Scotsman, former Filmhouse chief executive and charity staff member Ginnie Atkinson said: “Work should start this month and be completed at the end of May.
“We hope to be completely open by June.
“Once the work is done, we will open and that will be a huge milestone in the life of the city, which has been without a cultural cinema provision for over two years.
“The Filmhouse is an institution at the heart of the city and there has been a tangible gap since it closed.
“A unique cultural film programme that has been unavailable will be restored for the thousands of audience members that have missed this provision.
“It is not just a cinema, but a welcoming place that people can meet, a community hub and an asset – particularly the much-missed cafe-bar.”
“We have had amazing, tangible support from Screen Scotland to date for the development of the project to open our doors again and as part of the screen infrastructure we are optimistic.”
The Filmhouse has said that some of the money raised from the Crowdfunder will go towards covering reopening costs such as a “launch campaign, staff recruitment, computers, etc”.
The owners of the building, Caledonian Heritable, also made a significant investment in essential repairs to its foundation.
On their Crowdfunder page they give details about the renovation, saying: “The full scope of the refurbishment will see a refit of the cinemas with new seating and more leg room in all three screens.
“[There will be] improved access around the building, particularly to Cinema 2; improved acoustics and heating/ventilation in the cinemas; renovation of the public toilets; and refurbishment of the Café-Bar and foyer areas to increase space and light.
“We’ll also be prioritising energy efficiency as part of a programme of future proofing.
“And now we have the funds from Community Ownership Fund we’ll create a small fourth screen that will transform Filmhouse’s potential for the future.
“The ambition is to deliver a comprehensively appealing all round customer experience that will make Filmhouse a venue that can better attract new audiences, as well as providing a more comfortable place for the loyal audiences we know are eager to return to one of Edinburgh’s true cultural institutions.”
