Events outwith Moray: Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen closes
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The future of the Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen is in doubt after the charity which runs the venue called in the administrators.
The Centre for the Moving Image (CMI), which has operated the cinema since 2014, blamed rising costs and a drop in audience numbers since the pandemic.
More than 20 jobs are now under threat.
Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs yesterday that she was "hugely concerned", adding, "this was the only place to see good and independent cinema".
Graham Findlay, chief executive of North East Sensory Services, also expressed concern at the news that the cinema is now no longer open.
He said: "The closure of Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen will be a devastating blow for people who are deaf, blind or have visual or hearing impairments.
"The cinema regularly put on captioned screenings of popular films, increasing inclusion for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
"It had also recently invested in audio description technology for blind and visually impaired audiences, and some films had British Sign Language transcriptions as well as subtitles.
"People with sensory loss deserve to enjoy the cinema experience in the same way as everyone else.
"The Belmont was a fantastic example of how things should be done and the staff there were always very supportive.
"It was a jewel in the crown of Aberdeen cinema and this will be a huge loss to the entire city."
Audience numbers are said to have halved over the course of the last two-and-a-half years.
As well as the Belmont, the CMI also runs the Filmhouse Cinema in Edinburgh as well as the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
A statement released by the charity's trustees said: "We have been proud to have led the CMI through incredibly challenging times, and in particular during the worst days of the pandemic.
"Unfortunately, the combination of sharply increasing energy and other costs, together with both the lasting impacts of the pandemic and the rapidly emerging cost of living crisis affecting cinema attendances, means that we have had no other option but to appoint administrators at this time."
