When the Centre for the Moving Image (CMI) in Scotland went into administration in October of 2022 some of its assets were put up for sale, including the Edinburgh Filmhouse. This kicked off a saga with more twists and turns than some of the movies the cinema used to show.

FRP Advisory was appointed as administrators to oversee the sale of the building with 16 bids being received including one from a team that included former Filmhouse staff and London’s Prince Charles Cinema. There has been a public outcry to maintain the Filmhouse as a cinema for cultural reasons, generating support from filmmakers such as Paul Laverty and actress Tilda Swinton. Activists began a Save the Filmhouse campaign and pleaded their case to local government officials.

Last week it was reported that the historic cinema was sold for GBP £2.65 million (USD $3.33 million) to an unknown commercial bidder. The Scotsman reported that property management group Caledonian Heritable, who own The Dome, Ryan’s Bar and the Theatre Royal in Edinburgh, though this has not yet been officially confirmed.