Edinburgh Filmhouse, Independent cinema in Lothian Road, Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh Filmhouse is a former church on Lothian Road in Edinburgh, converted into a cinema with three screening rooms. The building retains its neoclassical exterior from the 19th century and is listed as a category B protected building.
The building was designed by architect David Bryce and built in 1831 as the United Presbyterian Church. It was converted into a cinema in 1979 and has been used as a film venue ever since.
The Filmhouse is known for showing films that rarely appear in mainstream cinemas, from international productions to older works brought back to the screen. The cafe-bar near the entrance is a natural meeting point where people talk about what they have just watched.
The cinema sits on Lothian Road and is easy to reach on foot from central Edinburgh. The cafe-bar at the entrance is open to anyone, with or without a cinema ticket, making it a good place to wait or meet before a screening.
The projection booth can handle both digital files and physical film reels, which is now rare in most cinemas. This means visitors can occasionally watch films on actual 35mm film, exactly as they would have been seen decades ago.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
