New Belmont boss: 'Cinema WILL reopen and stay open - bringing 100,000 people into Aberdeen a year'

Press and Journal

14 hours ago

Matt Buchanan still recalls the anticipation when he and his family went to see films such as ET and The Return of the Jedi back in the 1980s.
His eyes glistened as he talked about the the excitement, the smell of popcorn, the pre-film trailers as he clutched his sweeties and then… being transported into a magical world on a cold winter's day at the old Odeon in his native Aberdeen.
It sparked a lifelong love for cinema, one which continues to this day, and Matt is now using the force of his personality to help bring the Belmont Filmhouse back to life.
The venue shut its doors in October 2022, sparking a wave of nostalgia among movie-goers who could remember when they last walked through the doors of the venue.
The trouble was, though, that very few made a habit of it after the pandemic – just 57,000 people visited the Belmont in the last year before it closed.
Yet now, even amid the old posters, murals and other memorabilia, Matt and his colleagues are working to create a 'second living room' for Aberdonians.
Matt's passion for films was obvious when he was running the Montrose Playhouse, a community-owned independent cinema, which stages a successful annual festival.
From the outset, he was determined to entice the whole community into regarding the venue as somewhere they could meet, mingle, feel safe and have their spirits lifted.
He loves all types of movies and listed some of his favourites as The Big Lebowski, Aftersun, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Dark Knight and Moana.
When I asked him about the last on the list, he simply said: 'I have a young daughter, and this film has a great message.
'Moana is more than capable of saving herself and everyone else, plus it has got a lot of terrific songs.'
He's involved in a major salvage job himself.
He's not pretending there aren't challenges from changing tastes, such as the rise of streaming services like Netflix and the corporate lure of the major cinema chains.
Yet, ever since he started in the role in January, he has become ever more convinced that the Belmont can survive and thrive in a new environment.
As he told me: 'When you go into a multiplex, you are fundamentally a line in somebody's spreadsheet. People who work there don't necessarily care about film and it isn't the same as having a place which you can regard as your second living room.
'What Netflix and the other companies will never have is that sense of shared experience – of being in a room where everybody's laughing at the same time, crying at the same time, cheering at the same time.
'Cinema is the way films were meant to be shown. Not with a pause button, so you can make a cup of tea. Not on your own where you end up watching by yourself.
'But in a space where you can switch off your phone for a couple of hours, let yourself relax, and be transported somewhere else.'
The fundraising efforts are on track with further grant submissions in the pipeline. Yet Matt realises this can't be a short-term project or one which appeals only to a select few.
That was one of the problems with the old Belmont. Yes, it had an audience, but not one which spoke to the whole community in the way he envisages.
He said: 'We have raised well over a million pounds and we have another large funding application on the horizon.
'The biggest thing this year has been receiving Creative Scotland multi-year funding which gives us a lot of credibility.
'By the end of this year, or the start of 2026, we will be able to talk about a firm date for reopening. I was very bullish when I arrived. I said it was a matter of 'when', not 'if'.
'And I believe that even more now than when I started. This cinema won't just be about cultural benefits, but will have educational and economic benefits.
'If we get this right, which I'm confident we will, we will bring 100,000 people to Aberdeen city centre every year, which the area is crying out for.
'Studies by the BFI [British Film Institute] show that more than 50% of these people will spend money in other businesses.
'So, if you are talking about 50% extra folk spending cash within the city centre, that has to be a positive factor in Aberdeen's regeneration efforts.
'I always say: 'You can't do the good stuff unless you've got the doors open', so we know we have to broaden our base and look at what other events we can put on.
'It could be a film festival, it could be music events, product launches, architects using the big screen to do a client brief, renting out part of the premises to gamers.
'But we want to attract audiences which the Belmont perhaps didn't look at before.'
Matt regards partnerships as another crucial component and he and his colleagues have met with film-makers including members of the city's Crow House Projects.
He already has a partnership with SHMU, is determined to form links with the likes of NESCOL, Aberdeen University and Robert Gordon University and transform the site into a beacon for the next generation.
When the former Belmont went into administration three years ago, it left the city without a single independent filmhouse. But the balance sheet didn't lie.
So he recognises there is no value in the cinema reopening if it is struggling with financial problems in the first 12-18 months. So what is the plan?
He told me: 'We're determined to ensure that, once we are up and running, we have a business model which means the doors stay open.
'And not just in the short term, but for the next 20, 30, 40, 50 years. It's about making this a must-visit place for the whole community, a hub which excites people.
'In Montrose, we used to get all the kids in from the local schools to show them a Christmas film – and there were plenty who had never been in a cinema before.
'So we have to broaden our audience, while retaining the people who used to come here. It's about creating a programme for everybody and listening to people.'
Cards on the table time. When I initially walked into the venue last week, I wondered if I had strayed into an old museum or time capsule by mistake.
Could this place genuinely be revived after being out of business for so long?
But Matt's enthusiasm is infectious, his plans realistic and his acceptance that things have to change admirable. In his former role, he was used to making tough decisions.
If something on the programme was only attracting a handful of viewers, he axed it.
As he said: 'Our plans are very much rooted in reality and we WILL get it open.
'I'm confident Aberdeen people will vote with their feet and keep coming back and I can't wait to welcome them in.
'We'll certainly organise a heck of an event to open up this place. Something special.'
Depending on funding, it's understood the Belmont could reopen late 2026 or early 2027.