The expansion of Edinburgh’s Filmhouse is proposed to be open in 5 years, located on Festival Square next to Lothian Road.

 

Currently the project is entering a Planning Application to the City of Edinburgh Council and will be granted with an update next year.

 

The plans have been in discussion for 30 years, hoping to “create an inspirational and accessible temple for film culture in the heart of Edinburgh for the people of Edinburgh.”

 

The new Filmhouse will be a local, national, and international hub for the community, providing a cinema space; learning, talent, and skills development; film programming; innovation and enterprise and networking opportunities.

 

Juliet Tweedie,  Head of Development at The Centre of Moving Image (CMI) reveals it will aim, “to create a new home for two of Edinburgh’s most cherished institutions, which will enable them to fully deliver their vision and potential."

 

As a result, it will benefit both Edinburgh residents and boost Scotland’s film industry.

 

Juliet continues, hoping that the new Filmhouse will bring exciting life to its proposed location: “We want the New Filmhouse to be the catalyst that transforms Festival Square … and we will design the Square to be welcoming and work collaboratively with our neighbours, the City Council and key cultural partners in managing the use of the Square…”

 

The cinema space will have 5 fully accessible screens, offering an extensive programme of films for diverse audiences and tastes. Additionally, there will be a studio area which will function as an exhibition, screening, and production space.

 

Juliet discloses, “A huge amount of design, consultation, feasibility and vision has gone into the project so far” with the building being designed by award-winning Edinburgh based, Richard Murphy Architects.

 

If the application is successful next spring/summer; the project can begin to progress onto further planning and fundraising, hoping to be running in 2025.

 

However, COVID-19 made the consultation period “challenging”, after the three-month process was launched days before the country went into lockdown.

 

In spite of the pandemic, Juliet ensures, “the team has worked hard to put as much information on the project as possible into the public domain, and to ensure that as many groups, stakeholders and members of the public have been contacted and encouraged to feedback as possible through email, online and zoom meetings.”

 

The Filmhouse, which opened in 1978, is home to the Edinburgh International Film Festival which takes place every year. For over 40 years the Filmhouse has been celebrating films from all over the world and acts as one of Scotland’s leading independent cinemas.

 

Juliet ends with revealing what she hopes this project will mean for the future of the Filmhouse: “We want to ensure…the Filmhouse will be viable in the long term…to having a fully accessible building for both staff and audiences…and to having a world-leading centre of film creation, education, and viewing for residents to enjoy and through which to support our country’s film industry.”