The Loss of Independent Cinema The Loss of Independent Cinema

In October 2022 the Centre for the Moving Image (CMI), a charity that supported the independent film industry in Scotland, was forced into administration. This came as a result of soaring costs due to, among other factors, the pandemic and subsequent cost of living crisis. The charity faced energy prices increasing by £200,000, and the economic crisis meant that people had less money to spend on cinema tickets, hurting the business. This meant that the charity was unable to cover its costs, resulting in it being placed under the administration of insolvency practitioners, and being required to immediately cease all activity.

The charity’s work to share and promote independent filmmaking constituted an integral part of the Scottish cultural landscape. The CMI ran the Filmhouse cinemas in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, as well as the Edinburgh International Film Festival – the world’s longest running film festival which had attracted filmmakers, actors and film-lovers to the city since 1947. As well as the obvious loss of cultural capital with the disappearance of these institutions, the closures have also resulted in the redundancy of over one hundred staff members across both cinemas and the festival.

It becomes easier to appreciate the scale of t he hardship faced by the charity when it is taken in the context of the attempts at support. Most notably, the Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas. This was a support package for independent cinemas all over Scotland that amounted to £3.19 million, as part of a larger initiative by Screen Scotland, a national body supporting the Scottish film and television industries, and the Scottish Government of £8.72 million. That the CMI’s share of the support amounting to £354,052 was not sufficient to keep the organisation going, helps one to understand the magnitude of the problem.

Attempts at rallying public support were equally unsuccessful. When the Edinburgh and Aberdeen Filmhouses were put up for sale in order to help pay the CMI’s debts after the charity went into administration, a public fundraiser was established in an attempt to raise enough money to buy the cinema so it was not lost. Either that, or at least to show that there was enough appetite for the cinema staying open that it remained a commercially viable enterprise, in order to encourage someone else to buy it. Unfortunately, the fundraiser failed to raise the required £2 million, and while there were reports of negotiations with potential buyers, as of March 2023, no one has come forward.

Furthermore, the general lack of care and foresight surrounding the CMI’s hardship has worsened the situation considerably. The Ferret, a Scottish investigative journalism collective, acquired documents indicating that there had been financial concerns surrounding the CMI for six years prior to its entry into administration. However, it seems little action was taken. Additionally, members of staff were not told about the charity’s struggles until the 6th of October, by which time it had already gone into administration, leaving them with no time to prepare for redundancy. The current administrators have also turned down bids from those intending to keep the Edinburgh Filmhouse as a cinema and arts centre.

The importance of these establishments, and the impact of their loss, cannot be overstated. The Edinburgh International Film Festival played a vital role in putting Edinburgh on the map in the film world since its establishment in 1947, at a time when the most important film festivals were those at Cannes and Venice. As well as providing another outlet for small independent narrative and documentary filmmaking and music videos, the Festival was instrumental in diversifying the British film industry, with the 1972 Festival featuring the Women’s Event: the first event in Europe to exclusively exhibit the work of female filmmakers.

The Filmhouses in Edinburgh and Aberdeen have also played essential roles in their respective areas. The work of both cinemas did much not just to promote independent filmmaking, but also to democratise cinema and make it more equal. From hosting screenings with captions and BSL i nterpreters as well as audio description to make films more accessible, to LGBTQ+ film screenings which provided a place for people who may not have felt welcome elsewhere to enjoy films, and also access important social and mental health resources. These places were not just cinemas, they were the cornerstones of communities.

Of course, this problem is not unique to Scotland, with similar establishments in Cardiff and Wolverhampton closing their doors due to rising costs. Other cultural institutions are under threat too. In October, the director general of the National Galleries of Scotland, John Leighton, said that museums also faced a crisis “more serious than the pandemic.” Clearly, Scottish cultural venues face unprecedented challenges and both policymakers and the general public must rally to protect these vital institutions.