Dozens of Edinburgh locals gathered during a candle-lit vigil to express their views on the controversial closure of the city's Filmhouse.
Last week, it was announced that the well-loved Edinburgh Filmhouse and International Film Festival would cease trading with immediate effect and administrators would be appointed.
In a statement, the CMI board referenced the sharp rising costs and a decrease in cinemagoers as two of the main reasons for the sudden closure. They said: "We have been proud to have led the CMI through incredibly challenging times, and in particular during the worst days of the pandemic.
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“Unfortunately, the combination of sharply increasing energy and other costs, together with both the lasting impacts of the pandemic and the rapidly emerging cost-of-living crisis affecting cinema attendances, means that we have had no other option but to appoint administrators at this time."
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Since the announcement, a petition was started online to save the Edinburgh Filmhouse on Lothian Road, which has gathered 19,000 signatures in less than a week.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival was established in 1947, making it the world’s oldest continually running film festival, with the beloved Filmhouse making a name for itself showing independent and Scottish films.
On Wednesday evening, dozens of locals and film fanatics gathered outside the Filmhouse with signs and lit candles to show their support for the industry and to fight the tough decision. Pictures shared online show a large crowd outside the main entrance on Lothian Road, with filmmakers and others involved in the industry making emotional speeches.
Dozens can be seen holding candles and signs that express their views on the difficult situation. On Thursday morning, several others images show a collection of signs that were left outside the building. One reads: "We want to see films here again." Another says: "The only film festival worth a damn."
Paul Sng, who created the online petition, said last week: "The Filmhouse and Belmont are core venues to countless independent Scottish and UK film festivals and independent exhibitors throughout the year, without which screening their cultural cinema programmes in Edinburgh and Aberdeen would not be possible.
"The Filmhouse and Belmont went to great lengths to make films accessible to all, including many captioned screenings, screenings with audio description, baby and carer days, senior selections as well as generous discounts for students and others who would normally struggle to afford or hear/see/access films.
"With the loss of the Filmhouse cafe, Edinburgh also loses an accessible, city centre community space used by many different people who will struggle to find similar alternatives.
"EIFF, Filmhouse, and the Belmont are pivotal to U.K. film culture and provide vital support for independent filmmakers. The absence of all will result in the loss of a vital cultural film programme that has nourished and nurtured film audiences for decades."
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