Save Filmhouse Cinema

Hello again everyone,

It’s been enormously encouraging to see such sustained and determined support for Filmhouse. Your donations have made a real difference in pursuing the mission of saving our favourite cinema.

Our update today is to say that we have decided that, under the current circumstances, we do not feel it’s fair to keep your pledged donations in limbo for a number of weeks more. We will therefore close the Crowdfunder and issue refunds to all donors today.  

At present, as we understand it, the administrators (FRP) are in conversation with potential buyers. Savill’s have stated that the result will not be announced until January. 

We had hoped it might be possible to have a conversation with the successful bidder about future use of the building, but this is now too nebulous a prospect to justify retaining the pledged funds any longer.

This does not mean that we are giving up on the goal of securing a future for Filmhouse. Far from it! Edinburgh absolutely must have a mission-driven cultural cinema with a strong educational remit. It must have a cinema that offers everyone from all across the city a kaleidescopic window on film culture; that bridges cultures and brings people together in a shared love of film; that offers seasoned cinephiles a natural home, and everyone else a place to take their first steps in exploring a most exhilarating art form. 

As well as being a significant element in the overall financial picture, this Crowdfunder has demonstrated that there really is a groundswell of support for reviving Filmhouse. That will remain an important signpost for future conversations. We’d like to thank Creative Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council for their support throughout this process.

We are grateful for your support and enthusiasm, not just in this Crowdfunder but also for being part of Filmhouse over the last forty years and more. We only made it this far because of you. For all of us who have put years of our lives into making Filmhouse the ambitious cinémathèque that we know our city needs, it means an awful lot to see that it truly mattered to so many people. Edinburgh WILL bring Filmhouse back, be the path a long and winding one.

Thank you again and all the very best,

Rod, Ginnie, David, Patti, James; and EFG – Phil and Jim