The Edinburgh International Film Festival, one of the U.K.’s premiere film events, is to “cease trading immediately,” with its parent charity, the Centre for the Moving Image, going into administration.
The CMI, which also runs Edinburgh’s Filmhouse Cinema and Cafe Bar and the Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen, announced on Thursday that all three of its operations would close with immediate effect, citing rising costs and reduced trade. Ironically the sad news came the morning after the BFI London Film Festival kicked off its 66th edition.
“The charity is facing the perfect storm of sharply rising costs, in particular energy costs, alongside reduced trade due to the ongoing impacts of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis,” the CMI said in a statement. “The combination and scale of these challenges is unprecedented and means that there was no option but to take immediate action.”
The trustees for CMI have appointed Tom MacLennan and Chad Griffin of FRP Advisory as joint administrators, with the two now set to work with Creative Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council and Aberdeen City Council in assessing what options there are for the future of the individual elements of the charity’s work and supporting staff through the process. The Hollywood Reporter understands there are discussions already underway to explore ways to keep the Edinburgh Film Festival going as an event.
“We would like to put on record our immense gratitude to the entire staff team whose passion for film as an art form, and for the audiences and communities we work with and serve, has remained undented by the challenges of recent years,” the statement added. “We’re fully aware that this will be an exceptionally stressful time for them.”
The 75th edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival ran Aug. 12-20 this year, with incoming creative director Kristy Matheson at the helm. It opened with the U.K’s premiere of Charlotte Wells’ acclaimed debut and Cannes hit Aftersun, starring Paul Mescal.
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