Edinburgh Filmhouse is Open + July Programme Released

Independent cinema fans, rejoice! After three long years of closure, Edinburgh Filmhouse has reopened with a roaring return to the Edinburgh cinema scene.

Filmhouse's return has been eagerly awaited by Edinburgh film fans since its reopening plans were announced in early 2025. The refurbished cinema presents a wide selection of independent and blockbuster screenings, but most notably provides audiences and filmmakers with hope for the future of independent cinemas. In a post- pandemic world, on-demand streaming services have become the most popular format for film fans to get their fix of the latest releases. Although streaming sites may provide quick and easy access to cinema from across the globe, streaming removes the sense of community that comes with visiting your local cinema. It removes the bonding of a group of cinema goers who shut out the outside world for a couple hours, whilst trying not to spill popcorn all over their laps. Streaming is unable to replicate the interactions between strangers discussing their passion for cinema and the community that is built on these interactions.

This sense of community was undoubtably on display during Filmhouse's opening weekend. It appeared that the whole of Edinburgh had shown up to see screenings of classics like Cinema Paradiso and pivotal films from the past three years that Filmhouse was unable to screen during its absence. There was an enthusiastic buzz between staff and cinema goers for Saturday night's screening of Nosferatu on 35mm. The packed screening was filled with excited chittering amongst the crowd right up until the vintage Universal intro began, and Robert Eggers' reimagining haunted Filmhouse's upstairs screen. The crammed screening not only showed the popularity for the hit vampire film, but the unwavering support that Filmhouse has from the Edinburgh film community.

Following the cinema's immensely popular opening weekend, Filmhouse has released its upcoming programme for July 2025. Highlights from this selection include the Kurosawa x Shakespeare season, which pairs Throne of Blood and The Bad Sleep Well alongside Ran as it celebrates it’s 40^th anniversary this year. This season provides fans and newcomers to Kurosawa’s work with a diverse selection of the filmmaker’s filmography inspired by Shakespeare’s work, including one of Kurosawa’s explorations into the Neo-noir genre. Throughout July, Filmhouse will also be screening Complicit: A Michael Haneke Retrospective. This retrospective will delve into some of Haneke’s most popular work as an auteur, including Funny Games, Benny's Video and The Piano Teacher to name a few.

Kurosawa's Throne of Blood will screen on July 5th, 7th and 10th

July at Filmhouse will also provide cinema fans with plenty of new releases and special screenings. As part of DocScreen, an initiative by the Scottish Documentary Institute in partnership with Filmhouse, Inma de Reyes’ The Boy and the Suit of Lights will screen on July 12^th followed by a post-film discussion with the director.  On July 6^th the Scottish-set film Harvest will screen followed by a Q&A with director Athina Rachel Tsangari, producer Rebecca O’ Brien and cast member Emma Hindle. Edinburgh based director Matt Palmer will also be doing a Q&A following a double bill of Calibre and his most recent release Fear Street: Prom Queen on July 3^{rd .}

The Boy and the Suit of Lights will screen on July 12th.

The films and seasons mentioned are only a small fraction of everything that Filmhouse has lined up for July, so I strongly recommend heading to their website to check out their full selection and screening times for this month. So, head out to Filmhouse this July and show this Edinburgh institution the support it deserves!

Find out what's on this July at Filmhouse:

https://www.filmhouse.org.uk/whats-on