SCOTTISH stars Sam Heughan, Peter Capaldi, Dougray Scott and Jack Docherty have all given their backing to a campaign to save the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) and Filmhouse cinema.
Efforts have been underway to save the institutions after the charity that runs them went into administration last month, citing a “perfect storm” of factors.
Outlander star Heughan has spoken of his interest in a buy-out of the cinema.
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He said: “I was brought up in Edinburgh. As a teenager, I used to go to the Filmhouse a lot. I have a very personal relationship to the place.
“I actually enquired about it myself after it went into administration. I thought it would be a good business prospect. It’s tough, it needs a whole group of people. It needs everyone in Scotland to get behind it, but I think they will. There is a great passion and a great love for it.
“Edinburgh is the capital city. It does need a strong independent cinema. I’m certainly willing to help in any way I can. It will probably take help from the Government and a concerted effort from everyone.”
Meanwhile, Capaldi said “there’s a significant problem across the board”.
He added: “I think people have changed their habits. It’s a tragedy, really, because that experience of seeing films, particularly in an intimate and individual space, is very exciting and very attractive.
“It’s so easy to access so much material at home now. But there are certain things that just don’t work as well as they do in a cinema, like horror movies and film noir. I went to see Moonage Daydream the other day and thought ‘I’ve got to see it in the cinema because I want the big full sound system and to be in front of a big screen’.”
Known for his role as Cameron Miekelson on Scot Squad, Docherty said: “I hope the Filmhouse can be saved and that someone can come in and turn it around. I grew up in Edinburgh and that is where I went every week. It would be a real shame if it was lost.”
Scott, who won the Scottish Bafta award for best TV actor on Sunday, said: “I was speaking to Screen Scotland the other day about the plans to rescue the festival and get it back up and running. It’s really important for Scotland because it is the oldest consecutive-running film festival in the world. I just hope and pray that it survives.”
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