Belmont Cinema

Fall in love with the cinema again.

Led by a dedicated and passionate group of volunteer trustees from all walks of life and a groundswell of local support, Belmont Community Cinema Ltd seeks to bring a world-class arts venue, community space and film education hub to the city of Aberdeen.

In October 2022, the ‘Save the Belmont Cinema’ campaign was quickly formed by a group of local people in response to the sudden closure of the Belmont Cinema (then Belmont Filmhouse). This hammerblow to culture in Aberdeen was met with shock, sadness and an immediate desire to help — and FortyTwo Studio were among those who answered the call.

Having supported this grassroots campaign on a pro bono basis throughout 2023, in early 2024 FortyTwo were appointed by Belmont Community Cinema Ltd to redevelop ‘The Belmont Cinema’ brand for this exciting new era, in which Aberdeen’s independent cinema will be reimagined, refurbished and reopened.

The brief was to create a fresh identity that could be a refreshing, clean break from the past, while honouring the cinema’s treasured history in the city. A brand that would shape the identity of the venue and its activities for years to come, but (crucially) could also be utilised immediately to support the campaign in its fundraising and community objectives — including funding applications, pop-up screenings, crowdfunding and more.

Central to our approach was reflecting the community spirit and sense of ownership behind The Belmont and sustaining people’s excitement, imagination and support without a ticket being sold or screening being scheduled yet — as a ‘cause to get behind’ — all the while with one eye on how it can be fully utilised once the venue is open again.

The Belmont CInema brand is built around offering a gateway — a home for film, a space for cultural events in Aberdeen, a way forward. We took inspiration from a distinct feature of their historic Aberdeen building — the arched entrance — to build a brand identity, which expanded to a system that can be used to open doors to events, films or key brand messages. The choices of colour and typography play their part in tapping into the nostalgia and vibrant future of film, supporting a warm and welcoming environment that is accessible to all.

Supported by this new brand identity, The Belmont Cinema project continues to gain momentum, with recent successes including confirmed multi-year funding from Creative Scotland.