A YEAR since the closure of the filmhouse, dozens met at the Cowdray Hall to hear about its future, with next Autumn revealed as the date for it to reopen.
The only independent cinema in Aberdeen shut its doors without warning on October 6, 2022, after operator Centre for the Moving Image (CMI) went into administration.
Now, a group made up of local film fanatics and former staff of the Belmont will run the filmhouse as a not-for-profit enterprise, after Aberdeen City Council selected Belmont Community Cinema Ltd as its lead operator.
The new owners haven’t shied away from the challenge that presents itself with a huge fundraising task ahead if they are to get the doors open by late next year.
The group plan to raise this amount through grant making, corporate support, philanthropists and donations.
Leading a meeting at the Cowdray Hall, film fanatic and one of the leads of the community project, Jacob Campbell, said: “We are blown away by everyone’s support.
“We have really kept the community at the forefront and have kept everyone’s best interest at heart.
“With the venue being closed, it’s a better opportunity to bring it back as a sustainable enterprise.
“It needs to be attractive and busy, and that’s what we are trying to do.
“The next part is making this happen and getting the lights back on.”
Aberdeen’s Belmont Cinema will reopen its doors next Autumn.
