Exclusive:Search launched for new Edinburgh Filmhouse figurehead 'committed to transformative power of cinema'

A March reopening has been planned for the art house cinema after a two-year closure

Its doors were closed without warning two years after the sudden financial collapse of its operator.

It is hoped Edinburgh's Filmhouse cinema will be able to reopen by March 2025.It is hoped Edinburgh's Filmhouse cinema will be able to reopen by March 2025.
It is hoped Edinburgh's Filmhouse cinema will be able to reopen by March 2025. | Supplied.

Now a search is underway for a new figurehead "deeply committed to the transformative power of cinema" to spearhead the revival of Edinburgh’s historic Filmhouse cinema.

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The Filmhouse cinema in Edinburgh closed suddenly in October 2022 after the arts charity Centre for the Moving Image went into administration. Picture: Chris ScottThe Filmhouse cinema in Edinburgh closed suddenly in October 2022 after the arts charity Centre for the Moving Image went into administration. Picture: Chris Scott
The Filmhouse cinema in Edinburgh closed suddenly in October 2022 after the arts charity Centre for the Moving Image went into administration. Picture: Chris Scott

They will be charged with transforming the boarded-up building on Lothian Road into a “world-class cultural cinema” for the Scottish capital.

A new charity created to bring the art house cinema back from the dead is looking for an executive director “with a track record in fiscal management” to oversee its planned reopening in the spring.

The box office at the Edinburgh Filmhouse, which closed suddenly in October 2022.The box office at the Edinburgh Filmhouse, which closed suddenly in October 2022.
The box office at the Edinburgh Filmhouse, which closed suddenly in October 2022.

It is looking to hire an individual with “proven experience” in a senior leadership role within an arts or culture organisation.

Edinburgh’s Filmhouse ran for more than 40 years in a former church building - which was designed by architect David Bryce and dates back to the 1830s - until its sudden closure in October 2022.

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The Centre for the Moving Image, which ran both the Edinburgh Filmhouse and the Belmont in Aberdeen, as well as the Edinburgh International Film Festival, blamed a “perfect storm” of rising costs, the cost-of-living crisis reduced audiences in the aftermath of the pandemic when it was announced that it had gone into administration, closing all three arts organisations down with immediate effect.

Four former members of staff at the Edinburgh Filmhouse have led efforts to revive it as an art house cinema.

Although the building was snapped up by hospitality firm Caledonian Heritage last year, the company has since agreed to lease it out to the new charity Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd, which secured a crucial £1.5 million grant from the UK government to revamp the cinema ahead of its reopening.

It is hoped work will begin behind-the-scenes before the end of the year to allow the reborn Filmhouse to start screening films again in March.

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The charity has already announced screenwriter and director Charlotte Wells and actor Jack Lowden as its inaugural patrons.

The executive director will be working alongside the Filmhouse’s programme director, Rod White, and head of technical David Boyd.

The job description for the executive director role states: “This is an opportunity to play a key part in the future of Filmhouse. This is the start-up of a new organisation that will re-launch, operate and grow an Edinburgh institution with a distinguished history.

“Our vision is for Filmhouse to be a world-class cultural cinema for Scotland’s cultural capital, contributing to the common good by connecting people with the full diversity of cinematic forms and cultures.

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The executive director will be the primary spokesperson for Filmhouse as an organisation and will be responsible for stakeholder management. They should have a track record in fiscal management, balancing commercial income generation with cultural imperatives and audience needs.

“They must also be a strong communicator, have the ability to influence key decisions, and be deeply committed to the transformative power of cinema.”

Ginnie Atkinson, chair of the board of Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd, said: “The executive director and the programme director have a division of responsibilities similar to theatres, where an executive director leads on organisation and business efficiency, including customer care and stakeholder management.”

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