Photos (left to right): Grassmarket Community Cinema, Institut français d’Ecosse, WHALE Arts
The Edinburgh Film Guild has a long history of bringing cinema to the people of Edinburgh. Our charitable aims are to promote and deliver film and education programmes across the city. We are entering into partnerships and supporting community initiatives in order to expand our reach and increase the impact of our work.
Grassmarket Community Picture House
In early 2024, the Edinburgh Film Guild established an exciting ongoing partnership with the Grassmarket Community Picture House. “The Edinburgh Film Guild is all about building long-term, sustainable partnerships to support screenings locally to help ensure good cinema is accessible to everyone, everywhere. The quality of Grassmarket Community Picture House programming is outstanding, so the Guild is keen to do all we can to help support and promote this fantastic gem in the heart of Edinburgh,” said Jim Dunnigan, Chair of Edinburgh Film Guild.
The Grassmarket Community Picture House (GCPH) began life in 2015 as part of the programme of free social events run by the Grassmarket Community Project. The Grassmarket Community Project “takes an innovative approach to creating community, providing sanctuary and support to people dealing with multiple complex issues. These include homelessness, mental/physical health problems, learning difficulties, poverty, substance misuse, physical abuse and more. Through social enterprise, mentoring, education and support in a nurturing environment, the Project creates opportunities for those furthest from mainstream education and employment.”
Following on from the community’s open door drop-in meal, the Grassmarket Community Picture House programme runs an evening film screening once a week. From the GCPH website: “Every Wednesday at 7 pm, we open our doors at the Grassmarket Centre to absolutely anyone who enjoys cinema in the city. Our Community Cinema is a physically accessible, warm, safe and inclusive environment. Most cinemas focus on the latest blockbusters, but GCPH curates an eclectic programme of quality films to appeal to our wide-ranging audiences, including our own members and supporters, plus true cinema lovers from across the city.” The Grassmarket Community Picture House has won several UK film society and community cinema awards including: UK Community Cinema of the Year Award, Best UK Digital Programme Award.
The Institut français d’Écosse
The Edinburgh Film Guild signed a formal partnership with the Institut français d’Écosse (French Institute of Scotland) in 2022, which has been renewed annually since. Our ongoing partnership has resulted in a significant expansion of French language cinema screenings in Edinburgh and surrounding areas. Founded in 1946, the Institut français d’Écosse is a cultural centre promoting the French language and culture in Scotland. It is part of the wider Institut français network around the world, which is administered by the French Foreign Ministry. The Institut is located on the Royal Mile at West Parliament Square, Edinburgh EH1 1RF.
Images (left to right): Institut français d’Ecosse. Edinburgh Film Guild 2024-2025 Season publicity on the Institut website. Salle Émilienne Moreau-Evrard. The Guild contributed to a celebration of the life and work of French writer Annie Ernaux who was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature. Various photos of the Institut français d’Ecosse. Publicity for the Guild’s 2025/2026 season of films.
WHALE Arts Local Cinema Project
In 2024/2025, the Guild helped enable the WHALE Arts Local Cinema Project to secure and enhance community cinema facilities in 9 screening locations within Edinburgh. Local Cinema is a network of community cinemas based in Edinburgh. We supported film screenings co-curated with and for local communities across a range of community spaces in the city, including WHALE Arts; North Edinburgh Arts, Duncan Place Community Hub, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Space @ Broomhouse Hub, Craigmillar Now and The Crannie Community Hub.
The Local Cinema shared community cinema programme “takes place across a range of community spaces in Edinburgh, programmed in collaboration with community members and groups. This year we broaden our programme to not only include screenings in local community hubs across the city, but also contributions from a range of community cinema organisers who are at an early stage of development. The majority of film screenings in the programme are available via a pay what you can sliding scale ticketing model, take place in accessible venues and are presented with descriptive subtitles in English, regardless of the film’s original spoken language,” said Morvern Cunningham, Project facilitator. Local Cinema is also supported by the City of Edinburgh Council and Film Hub Scotland.
Images (left to right) WHALE Arts. A Local Cinema programme. Various community screenings. Photo credit: Kat Gollock