Filmhouse

A popular arthouse cinema in the West End of the city, the Filmhouse is also the home and hub of the oldest continually running film festival in the world, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which plays host to a number of the new films, shorts, retrospective screenings and music promos shown during the event in June. All year round it offers a diverse programme of over 700 films, concentrating on world and arthouse selections, and repertory screenings of cinema classics.

The Filmhouse’s current building is a former church which was converted in 1978, with its pair of additional screens having been added over the following two decades. With a vaguely art deco branding, it bears a similar place in the hearts of Edinburgh filmgoers to its fellow independent the Cameo around the corner, although the Filmhouse has a more eclectic programme and a more in- depth involvement with the film industry’s various strands.

In addition to its role with EIFF under the banner of the Centre for the Moving Image (also incorporating the Edinburgh Film Guild), its foyer contains a well-stocked arthouse DVD store, while in recent times it has moved into online video on demand services and film distribution. It also boasts an extensive range of creator Q&As and cinema education events as part of its regular programme, while the cafeteria-like bar area sells a range of good quality main meals throughout the day and evening. Here, the vegetarian and vegan options make it a destination dining option for many.