Local Cinema Network

Local Cinema is a network of community cinemas across Edinburgh, led by WHALE Arts. We support 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, Space @ Broomhouse Hub, Craigmillar Now and The Crannie Community Hub. For our 26/27 programme, we are pleased to be supporting three new community cinemas: Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Norton Park Centre, and Royston Wardieburn Community Centre to screen films for their communities. See below for our 26/27 programme, please contact the community cinemas directly for more information on individual screenings and to reserve tickets.

Local Cinema supports an annual programme of films that are screened locally across the city of Edinburgh. We have previously supported screenings across the network of On Falling (2024), Everybody to Kenmure Street (2026), and a season of films showcasing community solidarity, self-organising and activism with Local Resistance in 2025. The Local Cinema Network is coordinated by Morvern Cunningham on behalf of lead organisation WHALE Arts.

Local Cinema is supported by the City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Film Guild. The screening of Heroin parts 1, 2 & 3 (1983) in the 26/27 programme is supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, awarding funding on behalf of Screen Scotland and the BFI National Lottery.

For any further queries or questions, please email Local Cinema Coordinator Morvern at morverncunningham@gmail.com.  

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New documentary Bill Douglas: My Best Friend had its Edinburgh premiere at Craigmillar Now as part of the Local Cinema programme on 27th September 2024. The post-film Q&A was conducted by artist and Craigmillar Now trustee Andrew Crummy, with archivist Kenny Munro and actor Alex Norton. 

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Tish was screened at Craigmillar Now on 18th December 2023, as part of the Local Cinema programme. Tish is a portrait of the visionary photographer Tish Murtha, who was committed to documenting the struggle and inequality of the working-class communities that framed her upbringing. Watch the trailer from the event and the full Q&A with the film’s director Paul Sng below.