Edinburgh Filmhouse Reopening - cinemabang.com

This summer marks the long-anticipated return of Scotland’s leading independent cinema. On 27 June 2025, Filmhouseopens its doors and looks to the future as a home for community connection and cinematic discovery. 

Following a £2 million refurbishment, Filmhouse returns with new leadership, a vision which builds on the venue’s legacy as a space for learning and discovery, and a commitment to building a sustainable future for this iconic cultural landmark. 

With, ultimately, a total capacity of 350 seats, the venue will once again be a hub for film enthusiasts, offering a cutting-edge cinematic experience, a vibrant social space, and a platform for film lovers and filmmakers to engage with the very best in global cinema. Previously a three-screen venue, the new Filmhouse will become a four-screen cinema and will be unveiling a fourth screen with a capacity of 24, allowing for an even more expansive programme, as well as being available for private screenings and hires.

Opening on 27th June are the beautifully refurbished screens 1, 2 and 3 and all the public areas. Screen 4 will open later in July as part of a second phase of work and fundraising also continues for some remaining elements of the project.

Following its closure in October 2022, the reopening of Filmhouse marks the culmination of a three-year long campaign to save the historic cinema backed by film lovers in Edinburgh, Scotland, and around the world and by A-list film talent including patrons Jack Lowden and Charlotte Wells, as well as Dougray Scott, Brian Cox, and Emma Thompson. The cinema will relaunch with a programme of films missed during the venue’s two-and-a-half-year closure.

The cinema has been brought back to life by a group consisting of Filmhouse Chair Ginnie Atkinson, Head of Programming Rod White, cinema strategist at Mustard Studio, James Rice, Technical Manager David Boyd, and strategic financial consultant, Mike Davidson. The group is now joined by newly appointed Executive Director Andrew Simpson and a raft of new staff members. The cinema rebuild is designed by Unick Architects and built by Clark Contracts. 

State-of-the-art facilities in a historic building 

Filmhouse’s historic home is a repurposed church on Edinburgh’s Lothian Road which has been a cinematic landmark since 1978. Originally opening with a single 90-seat screen, the venue expanded over the years to include three screens, a bustling café-bar and a welcoming front entrance, becoming a cherished gathering place for filmgoers. 

Before the relaunch of the cinema, the building has undergone substantial repair work to the roof and stonework alongside an entire refit inside the cinema. 

Filmhouse’s technical capabilities include 70mm, 35mm, 16mm, 8mm, and digital projection. The cinema also includes a Clipster Unit for creating Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) required for festival and theatrical distribution. 

Comfortable seats and a new food and drink offer 

Comfort has been prioritised across the new Filmhouse. Film-lovers can expect extra legroom and comfortable seats across the cinema’s screens, alongside a completely reworked foyer space.  

The Filmhouse Bar has also been completely refurbished and will be able to seat 100 people for lunch and dinner, with drinks available throughout the day, catering for the many communities who enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere, and placing an emphasis on produce from Edinburgh and Scotland, offering great food and drink alongside environmental sustainability. Filmhouse fans will be pleased to know that the cinema’s world-famous nachos are staying put too.  

The cinema will announce new membership offers and multiple-tier ticket pricing over the next few weeks. 

A wide-ranging film programme 

Filmhouse has long been celebrated as a cultural cornerstone, showcasing world cinema in all its brilliance and diversity, from crowd-pleasing favourites and family films to avant-garde arthouse works, restored classics, and curated retrospectives.