ACROSS JUNE AND JULY, SCOTLAND’S FLAGSHIP CINEMA, FILMHOUSE IN EDINBURGH CELEBRATES ONE YEAR OF ITS DOORS BEING REOPENED
SPECIAL EVENTS INCLUDE IAN RANKIN AND JUSTIN JOHN DOHERTY IN CONVERSATION ON NIC ROEG’S ICONIC DON’T LOOK NOW
SPECIAL SCREENINGS OF BIG SCREEN CLASSICS 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY IN 70MMAND CINEMA PARADISO AND NEW HOMEGROWN GEMS INCLUDING THE FALL OF SIR DOUGLAS WEATHERFORD
A FILM LOVERS PARADISE WITH PROJECTION BOX TOURS, LIVE MUSIC AND SPECIAL DISCOUNTS ACROSS THE CINEMA’S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND
Edinburgh’s landmark cinema Filmhouse is marking one year of its doors being reopened to the public with a special series of birthday events which celebrate the big screen experience.
Across June, the cinema’s 1st birthday day weekend of 26th – 28th June and into July, Filmhouse will screen an extra special selection of films and events showcasing all that the cinema has to offer and is loved for.
Stanley Kubrick’s seminal 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968) will screen from 5 June in eye-popping 70mm alongside new cinematic visions screening in June including the darkly funny and eccentric new feature The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford from Edinburgh-born filmmaker Sean Robert Dunn starring Scottish screen legend Peter Mullan.
Other new films coming to the cinema soon include Steven Spielberg’s hotly anticipated Disclosure Day, Rohan Kanawade’s beautifully romantic Cactus Pears and back on the big screen, Paul Thomas Anderson’s cult hit Boogie Nights.
Audiences will also be treated to the first film that screened at the cinema when it reopened in June last year: an ode to the beauty of the cinemagoing experience, Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso (1988).
On 3 July, Filmhouse is excited to present a special screening of Nic Roeg’s iconic film Don’t Look Now followed by novelist Ian Rankin in conversation with writer Justin John Doherty to discuss Justin’s new book described as a ‘literary love letter’ to the film, Don’t Look Now and Then.
The discussion will not only touch upon their mutual love and fascination for the film, but also the detective work behind putting this sort of book together, finding the people who were there 50 years ago and uncovering never before seen archive and images that were thought lost to time.
The cinema’s recently launched We’ve Got a Cinema and We’re Not Afraid to Use It strand will see members vote on classic films that they are most excited to see on the big screen alongside the Team Birthday Picks strand which showcases staff favourites as well as highlights from across the programme since the cinema’s doors reopened.
Across the birthday weekend, cineastes can also get a glimpse into the hallowed ground of the Filmhouse’s projection boxes and there will be evening birthday party celebrations with live music. There will be special discounts on food and drink over the birthday weekend to coincide with the launch of a brand-new menu in the Filmhouse Bar Café.
Exclusive rewards will also run up to and across the birthday weekend for Filmhouse members, including the chance to be entered into a draw to win a Filmhouse lifetime membership. Special themed children’s screenings, craft activities, family face painting and games will take place as well as lots of birthday cake!
Filmhouse reopened to the public on 27 June 2025 after a remarkable three-year campaign to save the historic cinema backed by film lovers in 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.
Filmhouse continues to be celebrated as a cultural cornerstone, showcasing world cinema in all its brilliance and diversity, from crowd-pleasing favourites and to avant-garde arthouse works, restored classics, and curated retrospectives.
With, a total capacity of 350 seats, the four-screen cinema is 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.
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.
Built in a repurposed church on Edinburgh’s Lothian Road, Filmhouse has been a cinematic landmark since 1978. Following a £2 million refurbishment, Scotland’s leading independent cinema has been thriving since its reopening under new leadership and 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.
The completely refurbished Filmhouse Bar seats 100 people for lunch and dinner, with drinks available throughout the day, catering for many different communities with a welcoming atmosphere, and an emphasis on produce from Edinburgh and Scotland, offering great food and drink alongside environmental sustainability.
The glorious story of Filmhouse continues.
Andrew Simpson, Executive Director of Filmhouse, said:”The first year of the new Filmhouse has been quite a ride. Since June 2025, 125,000 people have sat down to watch a film here, and more than 200,000 have walked through the doors of our building.
“Re-establishing Filmhouse as a place for people to meet, socialise, eat and drink, enjoy themselves, and most thrillingly of all, experience the magic of cinema in all its forms has been a very special experience for all of us here.
“We welcomed the public back to the new Filmhouse ten days after finishing the first part of a huge refurbishment project, with a lot of work, including the opening of the brand-new Screen 4, carrying on after we had opened the doors.
“That we’ve delivered an enormously varied programme of films, events, educational work, and hosted dozens of festivals – from EIFF and the BFI London Film Festival to the French and Spanish Film Festivals, the Jali African Film Weekender, Take One Action, and many more – is a massive testament to our team, all the people we work with, and our brilliant audience.
“We’ve got lots of things we want to improve and build upon, and we’ve got big ambitions for the future. The first birthday celebrations are an important marker for us on that journey, and we want to take the opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past year, and to extend an invitation to those who are yet to try out Filmhouse, by inviting you all to party with us in June.
“There’s something for everyone, and it’s going to be a lot of fun, and we hope to see you there (we’ll bring the cake). Cinema lives. ‘mon the hoose!”