THE campaign to reopen a beloved Edinburgh cinema has received a major funding boost.
The organisation working to reopen the Edinburgh Filmhouse, which closed more than year ago after its parent company fell into administration, announced that it had secured a £299,000 grant from Screen Scotland.
Screen Scotland – part of the Scottish Government funded Creative Scotland – said the money should go towards continued planning and development for the reopening of the cinema in 2024.
To date, the charity Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd has raised £500,000 of the £1.25 million fundraising goal it hopes to reach before the end of February next year.
A crowdfunding campaign has already raised more than £160,000 with donations from 1850 backers and supporters.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “We have been deeply moved by the huge groundswell of support shown by supporters from Edinburgh and around the world.
“The strength of feeling is clear; Edinburgh needs a world-class cinematheque.
“Screen Scotland’s support represents a significant commitment to and endorsement of our plans, and another huge step in realising the dream of reopening Filmhouse.
“As the crowdfunder is an excellent way for people to donate whether it be £5 or £5000 we have taken the decision to extend the deadline to the end of January 2024.”
Isabel Davis, executive director at Screen Scotland, said: “Filmhouse is the iconic centre of cinema culture in Edinburgh, providing a uniquely diverse cinema programme which celebrates film from around the world and from its rich history.
“Screen Scotland is supporting the return of this vital venue and organisation; one which provides a nurturing home for myriad film festivals, a hub for film education, a home to a community of film lovers and filmmakers and an important cultural resource for the cinema-going public.
“Screen Scotland is proud to assist with the hoped for revival of this cinematic haven. Its return would signify not just the reopening of a cinema, but the return of a vital home for the artform.”
The charity is led by four former Filmhouse employees and is currently in advanced discussions with the building’s owners, Caledonian Heritage, to secure a long lease of the space.
Caledonian Heritage bought the building for £2.65m in April.
The cinema on Lothian Road had been in operation since 1979.
