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Edinburgh Filmhouse put up for sale following CMI closure

PA Media The Edinburgh FilmhousePA Media
The Edinburgh Filmhouse was closed after administrators were called in by its owners

The Edinburgh Filmhouse has been put up for sale after its owners went into administration.

The venue closed last month when its parent charity, Centre for the Moving Image (CMI), announced it would cease trading with immediate effect.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival and the Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen also shut as a result of CMI's collapse, with 102 staff let go.

The Edinburgh site is listed for sale with a closing date set for 7 December.

It is being sold on behalf of the administrators Tom MacLennan and Chad Griffin, who were appointed to assess the CMI's future.

The vacant property at 88 Lothian Road is described as a category B listed cinema of more than 21,000 sq ft.

Built in 1830, it was originally used as a church before being converted into a cinema.

Its rateable value, which is used by local authorities to calculate business rates, is listed as £165,000.

CMI said it had been hit by reduced audiences during the pandemic, soaring energy charges, inflation and debt.

The closures have thrown into doubt the future of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

In statement last month, Mr MacLennan said: "Unfortunately, CMI and its three subsidiary businesses have been severely affected by a range of factors that have rendered all businesses unsustainable and administration was the only option.

"We are hopeful that businesses already operating in the film industry or entrepreneurs looking to enter the film industry will be encouraged to register their interest in the assets."