Filmhouse announces date for its reopening

It’s been two years and eight months since an audience has crossed the threshold of Edinburgh’s Filmhouse. But in just over three weeks, on 27 June, the much-loved cinema will make a comeback following a £2 million refurbishment.

The reason for Filmhouse’s closure is well-documented. But in brief, the cinema closed in October 2022 when its parent company, the Centre for the Moving Image, went into administration. The Filmhouse building was eventually sold off to the Edinburgh-based property management company Caledonian Heritable, but in the immediate wake of the closure, a campaign to save the cinema was launched by the local community and was spearheaded by a quartet of former Filmhouse employees.

A 25-year lease of the building was negotiated with Caledonian Heritable, and funding was raised through a combination of grassroots crowdfunding (the “Open the Doors” crowdfunder collected £326,000) and government funding (£1.5 million came from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Community Ownership Fund), as well as additional support from Screen Scotland and Edinburgh City Council.

During this crowdfunding campaign, plenty of famous faces joined the call for the Filmhouse to reopen, including Dougray Scott, Brian Cox and Emma Thompson. Two particularly strong advocates for the cinema were actor Jack Lowden and filmmaker Charlotte Wells, both of whom have joined this new iteration of Filmhouse as patrons.

In a statement, Lowden spoke to Filmhouse's crucial role in championing filmmakers. “To have such a place on the streets of our capital providing the platform to give our world-class filmmakers and storytellers the lift off they need, and continue to ask the big questions of ourselves through cinema, is exciting and vital,” he said.

Wells, meanwhile, says that she wants Filmhouse to continue its essential role in opening up the world of cinema to the people of Edinburgh. “The Filmhouse was an essential part of my own story and I’m delighted it can continue to be that for others too through its film and education programming and its role as a public forum for film lovers,” said the Aftersun director.

Screen 1 during refurbishment | Image: Rod White

Refurbishment works include repairs to Filmhouse’s roof and facade, as well as an upgrade of the three cinemas. “Comfort has been prioritised across the new Filmhouse,” says the cinema. “Film-lovers can expect extra legroom and comfortable seats across the cinema’s screens, alongside a completely reworked foyer space.” The Filmhouse bar has also had a refurbishment, and a new fourth cinema screen will be added later in the summer.

The new team includes several former employees from the previous incarnation of Filmhouse, including previous Head of Programming Rod White, who’s now the cinema’s Programme Director. He’s joined at the top of the organisation by Executive Director Andrew Simpson, formerly the Head of Film at the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle.

“The love for Filmhouse never went away, it was just waiting to be reignited,” says Simpson. “The incredible response to its closure showed us how vital this space is, not just for Edinburgh, but for audiences across Scotland and beyond. We are returning with fresh energy, a clear plan for the future, and a commitment to delivering world-class film experiences for everyone. Filmhouse belongs to its community, and we’re excited to welcome people back.”

We’re told that more information on the cinema’s opening film programme and new pricing and membership schemes will be revealed in the coming weeks. To find out more about the refurbished Filmhouse, read our interview with Andrew Simpson and Rod White in the June issue of The Skinny.