Save Filmhouse Cinema

Hello everyone,

Firstly, thank you so much to all the new donors who have come on board in recent days to support Filmhouse. The progress on Crowdfunder has been tremendous, and the success here feeds directly into our active efforts to secure much larger sums from other sources.

Some of you may have seen an article in todays' Evening News/Scotsman about the Prince Charles Cinema’s intention to buy the Filmhouse building. This is a very clever piece of PR as they have managed to imply they care about cultural cinema – and maybe they do, but truly diverse cultural cinema programming simply doesn’t pay its way in a straightforwardly commercial business, which Prince Charles Cinema is. Cultural cinema, as delivered by the Filmhouse that we knew and loved, requires subsidy from the Arts funders – which Filmhouse received for many years and will do so again, if our bid is successful. Prince Charles Cinema also imply, by using the word ‘encouragement’, that they have the support of the funders and even the Edinburgh Film Guild. PCC have had meetings with everyone in recent days, and any 'enthusiasm' for their bid is on the basis that a cinema there is better than a pub.

We have finished an in depth business model to demonstrate the financial viability of a new Filmhouse. This model has been deemed thoroughly credible by those that matter. Creative Scotland, for one, are supporting our bid.

To date we – all of us – have raised £182,000 inc Gift Aid. This is frankly amazing and proves how much people want Filmhouse to continue in 88 Lothian Road. It would be great to hit £200K here by Monday evening, so don’t be diverted from spreading the word.

Thank you so much again for your support!

Best,

James & Ginnie