The Edinburgh Filmhouse has taken a significant step towards its revival with the signing of a 25-year renewable lease for its iconic 88 Lothian Road location. Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd., the charity behind the cinema’s resurrection, finalized the agreement with Caledonian Heritable, the building’s owners. This comes after the cinema’s abrupt closure in October 2022 when its parent company went into administration.

The lease agreement includes ambitious plans for the venue’s renovation and expansion including refurbishing the existing cinema and café bar, as well as adding a new fourth screen. The remodel is meant to enhance the Filmhouse’s capacity to offer a wider range of films and events to Edinburgh’s cinephiles, although the work is not expected to be completed before 2025.

Funds for the project come, in part, from a crowdfunding campaign which raised GBP £300,000 (USD $389,000) as well as an award of GBP £1.4 million (USD $1.82 million) from the UK Levelling Up Community Ownership Fund. The Edinburgh City Council recently kicked in another GBP £60,000 (USD $77,800) for the cause.