A fundraising campaign has been launched today, with the aim of securing the Filmhouse as Edinburgh’s independent cinema hub.
The building at 88 Lothian Road - formerly home of Filmhouse’s three-screen cinema, the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) and the Edinburgh Film Guild - was put up for sale after parent company Centre for the Moving Image (CMI) went in to administration in October.
An estimated guide price of £2m for the building has been suggested, with a closing date of 7 December.
The crowdfunding group has already received significant pledges and hopes that donors from the screen industries and cultural scene in Scotland and further afield will respond to help save the site.
Last week, a call went out to the Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council to purchase the building.
Scottish actor Jack Lowden said: “As a past resident of Edinburgh, never mind as an actor, the idea of our capital losing such an important cultural centre is deeply saddening.
“With the Scottish film industry growing faster and faster, it’s more important than ever to have a truly independent platform in our city - and just as importantly, a welcoming place to have a great night out.”
The fundraiser statement argues that the Filmhouse was economically viable prior to the creation of the CMI in 2010 and proposes a sustainable model if the cinema is operated in a 'back to basics' style, with its core business at heart.
“Upkeep and maintenance issues with 88 Lothian Road have been cited as motivation for an initiative to build a new Filmhouse in recent years - the support group recognise this ambitious and valid vision for the future, however the current building, if refurbished, is entirely suitable for the needs of Filmhouse audiences.“
The group also acknowledged that energy bills are a key challenge for all building-based arts organisations, “but we do not believe this should stop the mission of saving the Filmhouse building in the first instance“.
Organisers have partnered with the Edinburgh Film Guild, the oldest cinema society in the world, which started the EIFF in 1947.
In 1979, the guild sold its property in the city’s Randolph Crescent to donate the proceeds to fund the opening of Filmhouse on Lothian Road, where the guild, Filmhouse and EIFF had operated under one roof for 43 years.
Jim Dunnigan, chair of the Edinburgh Film Guild, said: “The Filmhouse represents the heart of cinema in Edinburgh and so much more than a building will be lost if it cannot be saved.
“As the most recent home for the Edinburgh Film Guild and the Film Festival since 1979, it is imperative it is not lost.”
A separate crowdfunding initiative was started earlier this month, aiming to create a welfare fund of around £50,000 to pay 40 members of staff one month’s pay, based on their previously worked hours.
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