HippCast

After a brief podcast break to deliver HippFest 2026, we're back in the audiosphere with the third iteration of our Young voices on 'old cinema' mini-series, featuring thoughts and reflections from some of our young attendees. In this month's release we hear from Kitty Volino, a 19-year-old student who tuned in online from the Scottish Borders, plus 16-year-old Izzie Middleton, who joined us in-person in beautiful Bo'ness. Expect discussion on the whole gamut of silent film viewing - the combination of music and film, silent era happy endings, the feeling of 'watching together', intertitles, tinting, Baby Peggy - plus some stranger tangents (yes, Christina does mention Married At First Sight). Enjoy!Additional reading/ relevant links:A full transcript of this episode is available hereMore information about Young ScotCaptain January (novel) Wikipedia page, as discussedTweet: Clip of Buster Keaton stunts alongside 'how it's made', as discussedListen to our 2025 'Young voices' episodeListen to our 2024 'Young voices' episode

Can you BELIEVE it's only a matter of weeks before our sixteenth edition kicks off? Well believe it or not, it's true - and in preparation for last-minute booking quandaries we've prepared another Programme Picks episode to tempt you.This year Digital Content Manager Christina Webber chats to The Skinny's Jamie Dunn and captain of the Hipp-ship, Festival Director Alison Strauss, to drill down into some of the silent titles most-anticipated coming up in 2026.Which Sherlock Holmes is Jamie's favourite? Where is our Norwegian-ceilidh-club night? Which films have our students selected to work with for New Found Sound? And how many films HAD Baby Peggy starred in when shooting Captain January (1924)? All these questions and plenty more throughout the show. If curious, the films selected by Jamie Dunn include: The Crowd (1928), The Bat (1926), The White Heather (1919), and Silent Sherlock: Three Classic Cases. HippFest's own Alison Strauss chooses to speak about Fante-Anne (1920), New Found Sound, April Fool (1926), Captain January (1924), and Apart From You (1933). Additional reading/ relevant links:Full English transcript of this episode available here.Jamie Dunn's HippFest 2026 preview in The SkinnyListen to The Skinny's film podcast, The CineskinnyMore information on HippFest 2026 Festival PassesSee the full HippFest 2026 programmeProgramme notes for The Bat (1926) by Allan HunterProgramme notes for Apart From You (1933) by Kelly RobinsonProgramme notes for The Crowd (1928) by David CairnsProgramme notes for Silent Sherlock: Three Classic Cases by Bryony DixonProgramme notes for The White Heather (1919) by Kathy Rose O'ReganWatch Maurice Tourneur: Franco-American Film Pioneer

Happy new year HippCasters! We're back in the audiosphere with a brand new episode inspired by the premiere of a new music commission for Jean Epstein's Finis Terrae (1929), premiering at HippFest 2026.Digital Content Manager Christina Webber catches up with Cinetopia's Amanda Rogers, plus musicians Dan Abrahams and Philippe Boudot as they begin creating a brand new soundscape for this film, set on a bleak island off the Breton coast. The film’s visual style, rich in atmosphere, and with a dual sense of menace and beauty, is an exciting invitation to the musicians whose folk-infused score will illuminate the thrilling elemental rhythm of this land and seascape.The Finis Terrae project is produced by Cinetopia in collaboration with the Edinburgh Film Guild. It is funded by Cockaigne Fund, administered by Foundation Scotland, and with support from the Hope Scott Trust and Help Musicians. We are excited to host the world premiere of this new music commission as part of HippFest 2026. Enjoy the show!P.S Love HippCast? Please follow us on Spotify, or send your favourite episode to a friend. It helps!Additional reading/relevant linksFull speaker bios and an English transcript of this episode are available hereBook tickets for the premiere of Finis Terrae (18 March) at HippFest 2026Cinetopia: Scotland's Film CommunityMore info on Cinetopia's project I Ken Whaur I'm GuanMore info on purchasing a HippFest 2026 Festival PassStay in touch with Dan Abrahams and Philippe BoudotMore info about ⁠Dowally⁠ (Dan Abrahams and Rachel Petyt)

It's that time of year again! In today's episode - a festive special featuring plenty of yule tide tangents - we talk to author Sarah Cook about 'silent' Christmas. Digital Content Manager Christina Webber has questions: were Christmas movies a thing in the silent era? Would we recognise some of the tropes of today's Christmas film in the movies made a century ago? And why does the iconography of a Victorian Christmas still have such a hold on our imaginations?Listen along to Episode 31 to hear about all this and more. As another tempting teaser, Sarah also shares a little bit with us on 'creepy' Christmas - see below - and we've included a plethora of additional reading and viewing links in the show notes in case your interest is suitably piqued...Additional reading/ relevant links:Read the full English transcript of this episodeRead 'The best Christmas films of the Silent Era' by Sarah Cook (courtesy of Film Stories)Watch Santa Claus (1898) on BFI PlayerWatch Harold Shaw's A Christmas Carol (1914) on BFI PlayerWatch The Night Before Christmas (1913) on YouTubeWatch HippFest at Home: 'A New Look at Our Oldest Films', an illustrated presentation on Victorian film made for HippFest 2024 by Bryony DixonRead more about the portrait commissioned by Prince Albert in 1848 (courtesy of the V&A)A great Christmas film every year from 1925 to now (courtesy of the BFI)More information on purchasing a HippFest 2026 Festival Pass

We mark our 30th episode by inviting independent researcher Laraine Porter onto the podcast to chat with Digital Content Manager Christina about what was going on in the film world on either side of, you guessed it, 1930. The cusp of the 'thirties was a pivotal moment for cinema, with synchronised sound radically changing operations across production and exhibition. Previously loud and boisterous sets had to adapt to operating in silence, and picture houses across the world had to make way for a whole new technology. The discussion ranges from the 'talkies' to the 'singies' and the goat gland films, and considers why some stars ended up as casualties of this seismic revolution.Additional links:⁠A selection of Laraine's Porter's writing on this subject⁠⁠Listen to Episode 23 to learn more about Hitchcock's (silent) heroines⁠⁠Watch 'Alma Reville: in the shadow of Hitchcock?'⁠Read the full English transcript of this episodeAbout the speaker:Laraine Porter is an independent researcher and Associate Fellow at DeMontfort University, University of Exeter and Bristol University. She was the co-founder and co-director of the British Silent FIlm Festival which ran between 1998 and 2019 and now runs as annual events at the Cinema Museum and Kings College in London. Between 2014 and 2019, Porter ran a major research project on British Silent Cinema and the Transition to Sound, and has written several journal articles on this subject. 

Hello listeners and welcome to Episode 29!In today's release we hear from Michael Coull, Cinema Programmer at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA), who chats to us all about one of our upcoming screenings: The Phantom of the Opera (1925).  To celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the release of this iconic film, Dundead - DCA's annual horror and cult Film Festival and programming strand - has commissioned a new score by Scottish musicians Andrew Wasylyk and Tommy Perman to be performed live at five venues across Scotland, including the Hippodrome, where we are showing the film on Thursday the 30th of October.The Phantom of the Opera tour is a Dundee Contemporary Arts and Dundead project 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.HippFest Digital Content Manager Christina Webber chats to DCA Cinema Programmer Michael Coull about the story, and asks why Rupert Julian's 1925 version of The Phantom of the Opera ranks among the greatest horror films of the silent era.About the speaker:Michael Coull is Cinema Programmer at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) where he also programmes Dundead, DCA’s annual film festival and programme strand celebrating horror, cult and weird cinema. Dundead has been running since 2011, screening the best in new and vintage horror, and Michael took over programming in 2021. Over the years Dundead has grown to be a key part of DCA’s programme and the Dundead audience is one DCA’s most engaged and loyal audiences.Additional reading/ relevant links:Access a full English transcript of this episode here.Book tickets to The Phantom of the Opera (1925)Check out our 2025 Taste of Silents seasonMore info on Dundead Halloween (running Sat 11 - Fri 31 October 2025)Check out Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA)Listen to HippCast Episode 22 ft. Andrew Wasylyk and Tommy Perman

In this month's episode we hear from three of our 2025 Young Programmers, who have been busy behind-the-scenes preparing our Autumn mini-season of silent film with live music. Alanna Steel, Helen Jockel and Eve Jeffreys share what it was like working together to choose the titles and their musical accompaniments, as well as explaining a little bit about each film and the variety of extra activities surrounding the screenings. In case you needed a reminder, the upcoming season of in-person screenings features:Clarence Brown's Flesh and the Devil (1925) on Saturday 20 September, with live musical accompaniment by Stephen HorneSergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925) on Saturday 4 October, with live musical accompaniment by S!nkBuster Keaton's Go West (1926) on Saturday 18 October, with live musical accompaniment by Mike NolanPlus a reprisal of online show HippFest at Home (again!) - Neil Brand: Key Notes for our international audiences who missed out in March. Digital Content Manager Christina dives a little deeper into how each guest first discovered silent cinema, and what being a Young Programmer with HippFest is like... All the relevant information on multi-ticket deals, booking, shuttle bus times, etc can be found on the Hippodrome website. Happy listening!Additional links from the episodeFull English episode transcriptThe Edinburgh Silent Film Club (on Instagram)The Edinburgh Silent Film Club (on Facebook)

In Episode 27 of our monthly film-focused audio show, Digital Content Manager Christina spoke to Jennifer Bulcock, the inspirational powerhouse behind the brand new (and upcoming) Penistone Film Festival! This new event is a two-day celebration of silent cinema, coming very soon to a beautiful cinema in South Yorkshire: the Penistone Paramount.Built as the assembly hall for Penistone in 1914 and screening films ever since, this beautiful multipurpose picture palace has been a home for entertainment for over a century, much like our own Hippodrome in Bo'ness. The town of Penistone, like Bo'ness, is blessed with a picturesque train station and shares a proud industrial heritage too, being renowned for its steelworks.Jennifer and her team are hard at work, designing a fun and friendly festival to introduce new audiences to the magic of silent cinema with live music. The inaugural event will run over one weekend on the 18th and 19th of October, celebrating the cinema's heritage and encouraging local audiences to try something new. And it's not just about watching films! There are local art stalls, a photo booth, stunt performers, roaming characters and period re-enactments, plus an invitation to create and submit your own silent film to an esteemed panel of judges.Christina and Jennifer speak all about the program, the festival's beginnings and purpose, as well as exploring various tangents, including TikTok and contemporary short form video viewing, working class alienation in the creative industries, and the need to invest in local community spaces.We hope you enjoy, and follow PFF your favourite social media platforms to stay up to date with goings-on. Additional reading/ relevant links:All about Penistone Film FestivalFull English transcript of this episodeEnter your own silent film into the competition!Learn more about HippFest's trip to Tromso Silent Film Days

For June's release we caught up with two of our favourite film archivists Kathy Rose O’Regan and Robert Byrne, during a brief pit stop between screenings at Il Cinema Ritrovato⁠, Bologna. Fresh off the back of presenting the new restoration of THE GARDEN OF EDEN (1928), accompanied by HippFest favourites Stephen Horne and Frank Bockius in Il Cinema Ritrovato‘s gorgeous Cinema Modernissmo, Kathy and Robert share some of their early festival favourites, explain the process of film restoration, and introduce the San Francisco Film Preserve.Formerly organised as part of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, SFFP commenced operation as an independent non-profit on October 1 2024. Their mission is to restore, preserve, and provide access to the world’s cinematic heritage, ensuring that works of cinema remain accessible for future generations. Through education, advocacy, and collaboration, SFFP aim to inspire a deeper appreciation for the art of film while safeguarding its cultural significance for years to come.SFFP also produce a monthly online presentation on early film restoration and discovery – on Friday 18 July Dr. Veronica Johnson will be presenting on her deep and compelling research on the first indigenous Irish film company – named, unsurprisingly, the Film Company of Ireland. Don’t miss this – though if you do we’ve been told it will be on YouTube after the event! More info here.As always, there is a full English transcript of this conversation here.All about the San Francisco Film Preserve.⁠Catch up on previous online presentations from San Francisco Film Preserve via the SFFP YouTube.⁠All about Il Cinema Ritrovato.More info on ⁠THE GARDEN OF EDEN (1928)Current projects and other restorations at SFFP.

A month on from our fifteenth edition, we speak to some of our youngest attendees and recent silent film converts on their highlights from HippFest 2025! This episode contains two interviews: one with our 2025 Young Scot reward winner Rhiannon Byles, and one with three of our 2025 Young Programmers: Eve Jeffreys, Alanna Steel, and Helen Jockel recorded by Dave Barras (Strange Boat Films). In a neat link, Alanna was our 2024 Young Scot reward winner, bringing Eve along for the ride, and if interested to hear their reflections on their first visit to HippFest you can catch up on episode 14 here.Rhiannon also mentions her first experience of silent film with live music - a screening of Nosferatu at the Prince Charles Cinema in London, accompanied by Hugo Max - and you can catch up on our interview with Hugo last year in episode 19 here. So many lovely overlaps!!We hope this episode prompts some of your own fond reflections on your visit to HippFest this year. Remember to save the dates for the next edition: 18-22 March 2026!Relevant links:Read a full English episode transcript hereEve and Alanna's Edinburgh Silent Film ClubNeil Brand presents: Silent Comedy Triple Bill at DCAMore info on where to next find Hugo MaxReflect on a festival even further back in time by listening to 'Young voices on old cinema' numero uno (from 2023 - episode THREE)!

It's the annual 'programme picks' episode - a listener favourite! - and with less than one week to go, what better time to have another look over the line-up? Featuring plenty of additional film titbits, predictions, promises, admiration for musicians, and general chatter from the team working away behind-the-scenes to present HippFest's glittering fifteenth edition. Featuring the follow staff members and titles:HANNAH BRADLEY CROALL: Before the Face of the Sea (1926); With Reindeer and Sled in Inka Länta's Winterland (1926); Our Hospitality (1923); The Cave of the Spider Woman (1927). ABBIE DOBSON: The Swallow and the Titmouse (1920); The Pleasure Garden (1925).NATALIE ALLISON: Friday Night Gala - The Pride of the Clan (1917); Neil Brand: Key Notes. NELL CARDOZO: The Shamrock Handicap (1926); What the Water Remembers - The Dark Mirror (2025) and Exhibition at Bo'ness Library; New Found Sound. ALISON STRAUSS: Flora Kerrigan - Rediscover a Film Pioneer; The Near Shore: A Scottish and Irish Cine-Concert; Forgotten Faces (1928).Additional reading/ relevant links:Read a full English transcript of this episode.Learn more about the HippFest teamBook tickets to everything upcoming at HippFest 2025An illustrated overview of the HippFest 2025 programmeAs mentioned: Alma Reville: in the shadow of Hitchcock?As mentioned: In the Frame of the Father: Films made by Irish Priests

In today's conversation, we hear from Caroline Young, a freelance writer and author from Edinburgh, specializing in fashion, pop culture, and classic cinema. She is the author of various titles, including Hitchcock's Heroines and Single and Psycho, How Pop Culture Created the Unstable Single Woman. Alfred Hitchcock, and especially his wife and trusted collaborator Alma Reville, provide the link between this podcast episode and our 2025 programme...100 years after its release, we will be screening The Pleasure Garden (1925), directed by Hitchcock, and edited and assisted by Reville, on Friday 21 March at 3PM. In addition we will be hosting an extremely rare screening of a key example of Reville's work without Hitch, The Constant Nymph (1928), at the Barony Theatre in Bo'ness on Saturday the 15th of March at 7:30PM. This special screening will be introduced by BFI Curator Dr. Josephine Botting, so do catch it if you can.Alma Reville meant everything to Hitchcock, personally and professionally. It is no exaggeration to say that she was his heroine. In this conversation, we learn about some of Hitchcock's on-screen heroines, his alleged fascination with blondes, and what he was like to work with.There is particular focus on the silent stars whose careers began with the venerated auteur, and the discussion considers Hitchcock's reputation for contentious working methods. Was he as formidable as is believed, or was his reputation part of a contrived press persona?Please note that this conversation contains slight spoilers for The Pleasure Garden. CONTENT ADVISORY: Murder, sexual misconduct.Additional reading/ relevant links: More info about Caroline Young Buy the book: Hitchcock's Heroines Book tickets to The Pleasure Garden (1925) Book tickets to The Constant Nymph (1928) Alma Reville: in the shadow of Hitchcock?Presented by Dr Jo Botting A full English transcript of this episode can be found here.

Introducing our exciting new co-commission: WHAT THE WATER REMEMBERS, including the first film to be announced for our fifteenth edition, THE DARK MIRROR (2025)! Hear all about a brand new venture for HippFest, an exciting new joint commission with Flatpack Festival in Birmingham called What the Water Remembers. This project features a new film titled The Dark Mirror, made by artist Moira Salt, with a new score created by Tommy Perman and Andrew Wasylyk, which will premiere at HippFest 2025 on Saturday 22 March, 2025, before reprising at Flatpack Festival in May. Based on research into the Falkirk archives and using footage from the BFI National Archive, Media Archive Central England, Collection Eye Film Museum Netherlands, and the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive, this creative non-fiction film brings some of the many stories of these waterways to life. It was brilliant to be able to chat to the team in the midst of this work, whilst they continue to develop the film and soundscape you will hear in March. The film and music are currently in production and promise to weave an engrossing, mythological tale fashioned from the rich history and cultural significance of canals... Tune in to hear all about it! Relevant links: More info on artist Moira Salt. More info on musicians Tommy Perman and Andrew Wasylyk. Mark your diaries! The What the Water Remembers exhibition opens at Bo'ness Library on Friday 14th February. Book your ⁠HippFest Festival Pass⁠ to get the very best value at HippFest 2025. As always a full English transcript of this episode can be found here: https://hippfest.wordpress.com/2025/01/30/hippcast-episode-22/

As you may be aware, HippFest 2025 (running 19-23 March) will be the Festival's fifteenth edition. This episode brings together some of the wonderful individuals that have helped shape HippFest, to reflect on the fourteen years thus far. When Digital Content Manager Christina set up these interviews, it quickly became apparent that many people close to the festival have a lot to share, and they love to talk about HippFest. Christina has cut these wide-ranging conversations into a perfectly podcast sized morsel, with some aspects getting a repeat mention (New Found Sound, Bo'ness, the Hippodrome, the musicians, Ali's programming). A huge thanks to and Emma Mortimore, Neil Brand, Nicola Kettlewood and Mel Selfe for sharing their fond memories of the Festival. We are so grateful for their input and for taking the time to share reflections with us. Useful links: Book a Festival Pass to get the best value at HippFest 2025! Browse some of the photos from previous editions on the HippFest Facebook page or the Falkirk Council Flickr. Read the Programme Notes from the 14 years of films thus far. Catch up on online content from previous years via our HippFest at Home playlist. Read a full transcript of this episode here.

In today's episode we revisit our 2024 pre-festival programme of illustrated talks to share a rich conversation between Dr Shona Main and Professor Sarah Neely, on the fascinating life and work of Jenny Gilbertson. The original recording was inspired by the HippFest 2024 Opening Night Commission for a new musical accompaniment for Jenny Gilbertson's The Rugged Island: a Shetland Lyric (1933), on March 20th earlier this year. We are delighted that The Rugged Island will be reprised at the ⁠Soundhouse Winter Festival⁠ at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh on Thursday 28th November, complete with the HippFest commissioned music by Shetland-born musicians Inge Thomson and Catriona Macdonald.⁠ You can book your tickets here⁠! If you're new to HippCast, it's worth noting that ⁠Episode 12 ⁠of our output features Inge and Catriona discussing their approach to working together to craft their music for Gilbertson's beautiful film. If you are planning on attending the reprisal at #SoundhouseWinterFest, we recommend you tune in to that episode too. But for now we return to a fascinating discussion about Jenny Gilbertson herself. Enjoy! Relevant links Read a full English transcript of this episode ⁠via the HippFest Blog⁠. Browse ⁠the Soundhouse Winter Festival programme here⁠. ⁠The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric (1933) programme notes⁠, written by Dr Shona Main. ⁠Watch the illustrated presentation⁠ featuring a variety of archival images.

In today's show, we're delighted to hear from Hugo Max, musician, artist and filmmaker, ahead of his HippFest debut as part of our 2024 Taste of Silents season! Amongst various interdisciplinary achievements, Hugo performs live improvised accompaniment to silent films on solo viola, and has played chamber music at prestigious venues including the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, and St Martin in the Fields. He has been concertmaster of the Oxford University Philharmonic Orchestra and the Oxford Baroque Players and is a lecturer on improvisation and multidisciplinary practice at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Hugo travels to Bo'ness to join us at the Hippodrome on Saturday the 2nd of November to accompany the surreal 1922 cine fable Nosferatu, the first ever screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. A quintessential example of German expressionist cinema, and one of the most famous of all silent movies, F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu continues to haunt audiences today with the indisputable power of its images. Digital Content Manager Christina Webber chats to Hugo about his silent film journey, his process when accompanying silent cinema, and the magic of surviving 1910s cinema spaces. Relevant links: A full transcript of this episode is available via the HippFest Blog. More about Hugo Max. More info about the upcoming Nosferatu (1922) screening.

As September comes to a close, students across the UK return to schools or higher education. To mark the start of a new academic year, we spoke to Dr. Paul Sellors, Lecturer in Film Theory, History and Criticism at Edinburgh Napier University and Programme Leader of the Film BA (Hons). HippCast Episode 18 considers what film students today can learn from early cinema: stylistically, contextually, and as a way to reconsider contemporary questions. The conversation touches on the various lenses through which we watch, study and try to understand early film including the intersection between early films and politics, public utilities and consumer behaviours; considers ideas of film ownership and authorship; compares early film viewing with scrolling TikTok feeds; and tackles perhaps the biggest and most challenging question of them all: naming a favourite silent film. We hope you enjoy this 'Back to School' episode and share it with any students you know heading off to start their journey in film education. As always, you can find a full transcript and a number of links to relevant publications cited throughout the episode via the HippFest blog. Happy listening!

In today's show we hear about a very special cinema loved by its local community, Highlands Cinemas - not to be confused with the Highland Cinema in the Highlands of Scotland on Fort William High Street - this picture palace is in the Halliburton Highlands in Ontario, Canada. Digital Content Manager Christina Webber chats to the cinema's owner Keith Stata during the height of their busiest season. Our cinemas are three and a half thousand miles apart, but both celebrate that hallowed feeling invoked by a beautiful cinema space, the tangibility and materiality of our first cinema experiences, the curtains sweeping majestically in front of the screen, the carpets, the lights, the buttery smell of popcorn... All of these sensations are bound up with the time we first fell in love with the movies. Keith set about building the Highland Cinema in his backyard in 1975, and since then it has grown and grown, now housing five theatres and a museum featuring cinema related photographs, memorabilia, and an impressive vintage projector collection. They may not show silent movies, but Laurel and Hardy do make a cameo on the cinema signage! (See above). Earlier this year, Keith featured as the subject of a feature length documentary reflecting on his life's work, The Movie Man. Keith talks about his time in front of the camera, and paints an evocative picture of cinema going in the forests of Ontario - cats and bear included. What did a trip to the movies look like during his childhood? How to make the perfect iced cappuccino? And what does he think the future of cinema-going looks like? All will be discussed, and more. Relevant links: A full English transcript of this show can be found here: https://hippfest.wordpress.com/2024/08/31/hippcast-episode-17/ More info about Highlands Cinemas: https://www.highlandscinemas.com/ The Cinemas' 58 resident cats: https://www.highlandscinemas.com/cats/ THE MOVIE MAN (2024): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21916284/

In today's episode, Digital Content Manager Christina Webber talks to Eva Hielscher and Oliver Hanley, Artistic Co-Directors of Bonn Stummfilmtage, with the 40th anniversary edition just a couple of weeks away! Eva Hielscher and Oliver Hanley have been working in research, archiving and curatorial mediation of audiovisual cultural heritage at home and abroad since 2008. Their different but complementary experiences span a diverse spectrum, ranging from film restoration and the publication of DVD or online editions to curating film-related exhibitions and film series for museums, cinemas and international film festivals. This will be their fourth year as Artistic Co-Directors. The discussion in this month's release paints a vivid picture of the 1000-strong open air silent film 'concerts' that fill eleven warm August nights. Conversation meanders from the audience to favourite moments and challenges thus far, to the upcoming 2024 programme, international reach of online presentation and dreams for the future. We hope, like us, that this fuels your interest in the Bonn International Silent Film Festival, and hope to one day see you there. If you can't make it along this year in person, the 2024 programme features many titles available to watch on demand for 48 hours, beginning 48 hours after the film's live presentation. A copy of the streaming schedule is included alongside the full show transcript on the HippFest blog. Further relevant Festival links: The Internationale Bonner Stummfilmtage website Stream the 2024 programme here Follow on Facebook Follow on Instagram

Episode 15 celebrates an important June date in the Bo'ness calendar, the Bo'ness Fair. Visitors to HippFest will remember that the Bo'ness Fair Queen, who is crowned each year at the fair has joined us on several occasions at our HippFest Closing Night Gala to award prizes. The Bo'ness Children's Fair Festival, to give it its official name, was founded in 1897 and continues to be a major cultural event in Scotland, beloved by Bonessians at home, and further afield. Louis Dixon, the original proprietor of the Hippodrome, produced local topicals for the cinema, making films documenting the fair from as early as 1912 right through to his death in 1960. To get in the spirit of the fair, and of Louis Dixon himself, We thought it would be fitting to share with you an adapted version of the walking tour led by local historian and archaeologist Geoff Bailey about the Hippodrome architect Matthew Steele. Architect of the Hippodrome (1911), Matthew Steele has a lasting legacy in the streets of Bo’ness. His practice lasted from 1905-37 and in that time he created many private homes and public buildings in the town, in the Arts and Crafts, and later art deco moderne style. Born in Bo’ness and trained in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Steele worked mainly in Bo’ness throughout his life and his designs are often very recognisable. Adapted from our online video tour released as part of HippFest 2021, this audio production hosted by Geoff Bailey will guide youthrough Bo’ness to discover the buildings created by this influential architect. So spend the afternoon in Bo'ness strolling from one building to the other as you listen along; or if you're tuning in from overseas and are curious about a building, you can do the exact same using Google Maps. Happy Fair Day to all who celebrate! Learn more about Bo'ness Children's Fair Festival: https://www.thefairday.com/ A full English transcript of this episode is available to read if preferred here: https://hippfest.wordpress.com/2024/06/28/hippcast-episode-15/ See the approximate locations of each point of the tour below: 00:03:57 | Hippodrome Cinema (10 Hope Street Bo'ness EH51 0AA) 00:08:07 | South Street (11 South St, Bo'ness EH51 0EA) 00:09:41 | Corvi's and the old Station Hotel (5-7 Seaview Place, Bo'ness EH51 0AJ) 00:12:37 | The Star Cinema (17 Corbiehall, Bo'ness, EH51 0AW) 00:16:00 | 'Coffin Close' (63 Corbiehall, Bo'ness EH51 0AX) 00:17:59 | 'St Mary's Buildings' (195 Corbiehall, Bo'ness EH51 OAX) 00:19:26 | Seaforth (43 Linlithgow Road, Bo'ness, EH51 0DW) 00:21:28 | Matt Steele's cottages (Dean Road, Bo'ness, EH51 9BH) 00:22:42 | The 'Venetian Houses' (Cadzow Cres, Bo'ness EH51 9AY) 00:23:45 | Duchess Nina Nurses' Home (Where Cadzow Crescent and Cadzow Lane connect, Bo'ness, EH51 9AY) 00:25:29 | Matt Steele's bungalows (Cadzow Crescent, Bo'ness, EH51 9AZ) 00:26:11 | Masonic Hall (Stewart Avenue, Bo'ness, EH51 9NJ) 00:28:03 | Commission Street flats (Main St, Bo'ness EH51 9NG) 00:29:29 | Matty Steele Building (South St, Bo'ness EH51 9NF)

In Episode 14, Digital Content Manager Christina Webber speaks to three first-time HippFest attendees about their experience at Scotland's first and only Festival of silent cinema and live music. Hear a collection of insights on this year's programme from Festival Supporter Pass Holder Uliana Ischenko-Iten, and our two Young Scot Reward Pass Holders Alanna Steel and Eve Jeffreys. All three share a surprise that the screenings were so busy, an appreciation of our Platform Reels screening of The Flying Scotsman on the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway, plus mentions of The Organist at St. Vitus Cathedral, and our closing night feature The Wind. Opinions on the post-screening entertainment at our Friday Night Gala differ, and a warm appreciation for Hippodrome Cinema shines through from everyone reflecting on their time in Bo'ness.Save the date! HippFest will return next year from the 19-23 March 2025. We hope to see you then.You can access a full transcript of this episode here.

It's the annual 'programme picks' episode - a listener favourite! - and with only one week to go, what better time to have another look over the line-up? We hear from Festival Director Alison Strauss who urges audiences to check out The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric (1933) either in-person or via live-stream, plus squeezes in every Frances Marion title under the guise of one: Just Around the Corner (1921), available to view either in-person or via live-stream; Natalie Allison (Festival Producer) who is proud to present a Friday Night Gala screening of Mantrap (1926), and recommends audiences check out New Found Sound; Nell Cardozo (HippFest Development & Engagement Officer) who was blown away by the contemporary resonance of The Norrtull Gang (1923), and points audiences towards the free Pen-to-Picture exhibition at Bo'ness Library; Paul Eames (Falkirk Council Team Leader for Cultural Services) who is looking forward to re-living a memorable first viewing of The Wind (1928), seconds a need for audiences to see New Found Sound, and also recommends Queen of Sports (1934); Lesley O'Hare (Falkirk Council Cultural Services Manager) who jointly anticipates the exploits of mischievous children in both Adventures of Half a Ruble (1929) and Oliver Twist (1922); and finally Marketing Manager Abbie Dobson, whose first choice is Jenny Hammerton's Cooking with Joan Crawford workshop, followed by the gothic architecture and cinematography of The Organist at St Vitus Cathedral (1929). You can check out the full programme and everything else you need to know ahead of HippFest 2024 here: https://www.hippodromecinema.co.uk/silent-film-festival/

Today's episode is centred around the upcoming HippFest 2024 opening night on Wednesday 20th March, The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric. Directed by Jenny Gilbertson, nee Jenny Brown. HippFest is proud to present this extraordinary film with the world premiere of our new music commission created by award winning multi instrumentalist and composer from Fair Isle, Inge Thomson, collaborating with another Shetland born musician, Catriona Macdonald, who is considered to be one of the world's leading traditional fiddle players. Digital Content Manager Christina chats to both musicians about their upcoming collaboration, and conversation meanders from discussing Jenny Gilbertson's sensitivity when film-making, to the incredible skill of the Shetland fishermen and crofters who turned their hand to acting in the 1933 film, to particular sounds that viewers can expect during the performance (Shetlanders make note - the Unst Bridal March will feature), and the joy of this unique musical collaboration. Sit back, relax, and enjoy, ahead of our second pre-Festival presentation premiering on Friday 23 February, which will dig a little deeper into the extraordinary life and career of Jenny Gilbertson... Relevant links An English transcript of this episode is available here More about Inge Thomson⁠⁠ More about Catriona Macdonald⁠ Tickets for the in-person screening of The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric Tickets for the online live-stream of The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric Tickets for the online premiere of Jenny Gilbertson: 'A Real Illuminator'

In Episode 11 we mark one full calendar year since starting the show by tantalising you with a bit of background about some of our events from the 2024 Festival Programme, revealing both an illustrated talk and an exciting hands-on workshop that will both be part of our exciting line-up. So in the first revelation of 2024 ... (drum roll) ... we are delighted to welcome upcoming HippFest 2024 guest, Jenny Hammerton! Jenny is the wonderful woman behind Silver Screen Suppers: the wonderful world of film star dining and drinking, a blog documenting the dishes of Hollywood icons from the silent era (and beyond). If you want to try your hand at concocting Lilian Gish's lemon pie, or trying Rudolph Valentino's 'secret spaghetti sauce', head over to Silver Screen Suppers and browse the 8000+ tried and tested recipes which await. In today's episode Digital Content Manager Christina Webber, a self proclaimed highly food-motivated individual, chats to Jenny about the origins of Silver Screen Suppers, some of the standout successes and failures Jenny has sampled along the way, the bizarre and delightful world of Eve's Film Review, Joan Crawford's aversion to bar stalls and her passion for candlelit dinners, and the ultimate conclusion that TikTok is the contemporary consumer's Cinemagazine of today. The full 2024 programme will be released on Tuesday 6 February, and tickets for both events will be bookable then. Jenny is also offering Festival Pass Holders an exclusive discount on books purchased directly from her store, details of which will be sent out in the exclusive PassHolder ahead of programme release - so if you're keen to grab a Pass early, click here whilst there's still some left! For now, though supper's served! We hope you enjoy the episode. Various relevant URLS A full episode transcript is available here: https://hippfest.wordpress.com/2024/01/31/hippcast-episode-11/ Silver Screen Suppers: https://www.silverscreensuppers.com/about Cooking with Joan Crawford: https://www.silverscreensuppers.com/joan-crawford-cookbook HippFest Festival Passes: https://www.hippodromecinema.co.uk/ticket-subscription/

In today's episode we hear from Gregg McNeill of ⁠Darkbox Images⁠, discussing the tangibility of analogue processes and why wet plate collodion (a Victorian photographic technology) endures to this day. Gregg lives and works in Larbert as a photographer and film-maker, employing both digital and analogue photographic processes to create beautiful and unique images. We are fortunate enough to be hosting Gregg at HippFest 2024, where we know our audiences will savour the opportunity to sit for a unique portrait to take home. Excitingly, Gregg is offering a special perk for Festival Pass Holders, who will receive a complimentary debossed cabinet card to display their portrait in style!  In conversation with Digital Content Manager (and podcast wrangler) Christina - who incidentally, is also an analogue photographer - Gregg discusses the fundamentally physical process of shooting 16mm film, how lens-based technology has affected how we see and tell stories, the beauty of the collodion process, and the value of physical photographic ephemera.   Relevant links: Corresponding blog post and show transcript: https://www.hippfest.wordpress.com Support Gregg via his Patreon account: https://www.patreon.com/DarkboxImages Check out Darkbox Images: https://www.darkboximages.com/ Book a HippFest 2024 Festival Pass: https://www.hippodromecinema.co.uk/ticket-subscription/ More on Frederick Scott Archer, inventor of the collodion process: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Scott_Archer

In today's release we are delighted to share a conversation that took place earlier this month at the University of Edinburgh, hosted by Jane Sillars, Programme Director of the Masters in Film, Exhibition and Culture, along with Lizelle Bisschoff, who runs the Film Curation Masters at the University of Glasgow. The conversation featured the participation of Lisa Hoen, Director of the Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF), who made a pit stop in Edinburgh on her way from Norway to the Reykjavik International Film Festival. The event and the following dialogue grew out of a research visit to TIFF's Silent Film Days, undertaken by HippFest Director Alison Strauss and Nell Cardozo, HippFest Development and Engagement Officer, in April 2023. In the discussion, you'll hear how HippFest and TIFF's Silent Film Days are carving out a space for silent film with live music in contemporary cinema programming, and about some of the considerations of film curation in this specialised area. Lisa's experiences programming art house and archive film in the Arctic Circle are invaluable, and we are grateful to be able to share this insightful conversation. Expect consideration of some of the challenges to silent film programming, alongside wider topics such as the crucial importance of cinemas as social spaces, and the transformative power of live music with silent cinema. We hope you enjoy! Relevant links: Read the show transcript in full here Read Alison's account of the trip to TIFF from earlier this year More about Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF) More about TIFF's Silent Film Days More about Jo Reid's The Freedom Machine

In today’s episode, released in celebration of Silent Movie Day, we share a fascinating conversation on the final title in the season SALOME (1922), between HippFest podcast-wrangler Christina Webber and members of archive activist film collective Invisible Women: Rachel Pronger, Camilla Baier and Lauren Clarke. Invisible Women are an international collective who seek out and champion the work of women and filmmakers with marginalised identities who have been overlooked, un-credited or left out of the history of cinema. By drawing attention to these forgotten stories, they aim to reinsert female voices into the story of film. And in today’s release this is certainly the case! The conversation covers the visual splendour of the film, its oddness, sexiness, and humour, its contemporary resurgence and queer and feminist reclamation, but also paints a vivid picture of the scene in Hollywood at this time, and the cast and crew behind the movie. Alleged to be an entirely queer cast, SALOME (1922) is a perfect example of the subversive networks that were able to operate at the start of the 1920s, and how despite being overlooked in film history, women like Alla Nazimova and Natacha Rambova achieved incredible success. We hope you enjoy - as always there is a full episode transcript available here. Relevant links: More about the HippFest Taste of Silents season Book to watch SALOME (1922) in-person at the Hippodrome (Bo'ness) Book to watch SALOME (1922) via online live-stream (available for 48 hours) Find out more about the work of Invisible Women and join the mailing list

Episode 7 of the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival Podcast is dedicated to our touring HippFest 2022 Commission Journey to the Isles: Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, which just last week travelled to Brittany to open Le Festival International du Film Insulaire du Groix, and which will travel again for another outing at the University of Glasgow Advanced Research Centre in November! The full performance offers a mesmerizing glimpse into the landscapes, folktales, and songs that inspired Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, one of Scotland's great early collectors of traditional arts, featuring two of Kennedy-Fraser's own films preserved by the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive. Joining audiences on this journey to the isles are acclaimed live performer, multi instrumentalist and one of Scotland's leading storytellers, Marion Kenny with award winning musician, singer and songwriter, Mairi Campbell. Both artists co-created a new score, weaving together words, music and song alongside Kennedy-Fraser's enchanting films. But for those unable to attend, waiting to watch, or anyone listening in curious to hear more about Marjory Kennedy-Fraser's incredible story, we have adapted a live recording of the show from Eden Court Highlands Cinema in Inverness from October 2022 into this audio-only podcast for your listening pleasure. Researched, developed and performed by Marion Kenny, the story of Marjory Kennedy-Fraser is full of adventurous twists and turns and will paint a vivid picture of what life was like as a song collector in the early 20th century... We hope you enjoy tuning in. More about HippFest's touring commissions Book to attend the CinemARC screening (Glasgow) Nov 16th Marjory Kennedy-Fraser's films at the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive More about Marion Kenny More about Mairi Campbell

This month's episode is all about the legendary Harold Lloyd title SAFETY LAST (1923), screening as part of the upcoming Edinburgh International Film Festival in collaboration with HippFest, and featuring live accompaniment from Festival favourite Mike Nolan. Social Media Officer and Online Coordinator Christina Webber speaks to Tamara Van Strijthem (Executive Producer for the EIFF) about this year's programme, and asks Mike Nolan about his love for silent cinema, plus the process involved when approaching a silent movie. There is of course much discussion on Harold Lloyd, other EIFF highlights to check out, and even a story beginning 'one dark and stormy night...'. Enjoy! Browse the full EIFF programme here Book tickets to see SAFETY LAST (1923) ft. live accompaniment from Mike Nolan Or, read the show transcript in full via the HippFest blog

This month's release re-visits a conversation from 2022 between Dodge Brothers Mark Kermode and Mike Hammond, plus honourary Dodge (and HippFest favourite) Neil Brand. Some of the topics covered throughout the conversation include the particular nature of silent film accompaniment, ways to approach working collaboratively (described here as 'mind meld'), as well as ways the audience can influence the musicians, and some anecdotes from along the way. As always, you can read a full show transcript here (including some photos from the eventual CITY GIRL performance) and with this episode, you can also watch a full event recording which we added to our HippFest at Home YouTube playlist, if you would rather watch the speakers as they converse. We hope you enjoy listening, and will be back next month with more treats for your ears!

May's episode 'All Faces are Masks' is an exploration of silent cinema's portrayal of visibly different characters led by Changing Faces campaigner Dr Chris Heppell and filmmaker David Cairns. Changing Faces is a charity dedicated to providing support and promoting respect for everyone with a visible difference, and the week of this release (15th - 19th May 2023) is Face Equality Week. Face Equality Week aims to raise awareness about the prejudice experienced by those with a visible difference. Underpinning 2023's event is the celebration of Changing Faces' ambassadors and campaigners proudly being the role models they want to see more of, and saying: "This is me". You can watch and share the campaign video, donate, or sign up for email updates in order to support the important work that Changing Faces are doing. Many thanks to Dr Chris Heppell and David Cairns for presenting such a fascinating event at HippFest 2023. If you would prefer to read rather than listen, you can access a full English transcript here.

In HippCast Episode 3 we hear from young voices on old cinema. Bringing fresh perspectives and new relevance to archive film is one of the many pleasures of programming a silent film festival, and involving new audiences and younger people in this wonderful world has been at the festival's heart since HippFest began. This episode features a short excerpt from the live Q&A which concluded our recent presentation of New Found Sound at HippFest 2023 - with terrific performances by Megan Marshall, Chloe Gibb, Erin Richards and Anya McCheyne, as well as from the Falkirk Junior and Senior Trad Bands - plus short interviews with Jenny Alexander (HippFest Advisory Panel) and Sara Prentice (Young Scot Reward Winner) inviting some of our young audience members to share their thoughts on this year's programme. If you would prefer, there is a full Episode Transcript available here. 

In Episode 2 of the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival Podcast (HippCast for short) members of the team at Falkirk Council discuss their personal highlights from this year's programme, with a little bit of extra chat about the magic of silent cinema. Hear from Festival Director Alison Strauss; Online Coordinator, Social Media Officer and 'podcast operator' Christina Webber; Nell Cardozo, Development & Engagement Officer; Paul Eames, Team Leader (Arts), Falkirk Council; Marketing Manager Abbie Dobson; Independent Cinema Office FEDS Trainee James Mennie; and Natalie Allison, Festival Producer. Interested in an event mentioned in this episode? Browse and book tickets. If you would prefer to read this conversation, a full transcript  is available here.

In Episode 1 of the HippFest Podcast (or HippCast for short), we are delighted to share with you a lively and fascinating talk by Donald Smith, originally presented in March 2022, ahead of our Festival Opening Night screening of The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots (1923). 'The Loves of Mary' was a real highlight of the festival, the world premiere of a new restoration of an extremely rare film presented with live improvised piano, plus the famous Scottish storyteller, Andy Cannon taking the role of our very own Film Explainer or 'McBenshi'. This memorable screening event was made even richer by Donald's talk, which set the scene perfectly for this near-hundred-year-old costume drama. Donald Smith is an author, storyteller and director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival since 1989. His many publications include Storytelling Scotland, A Pilgrim Guide to Scotland, Wee Folk Tales: in Scots and Folk Tales From The Garden. Donald has also staged over a hundred plays and was a moving force behind the Scottish Storytelling Center and a National Theatre for Scotland.  If you would prefer, there is a full Episode Transcript available here. Links to resources mentioned in this episode are below: The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots (1895) - courtesy of The National Library of Scotland's Moving Image Archive The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots (1923) programme notes - by commissioned for the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival 2022 The Ballad of the Five Marys - written by Donald Smith, Luath Press Archive Film Agency on YouTube Celluloid Tapestry on YouTube

Greetings, silent film fans! We are delighted to release Episode 0 of our new podcast series, the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival Podcast - or HippCast for short. Intended as a brief audio primer, this preview episode is an opportunity to introduce online audiences to the unique HippFest experience.  To do so we have assembled a collection of voices, all sharing their impressions of the Festival. The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival (HippFest) is Scotland's first and only festival of silent film with live music. This brand new podcast features excerpts from a host of HippFest activity: Q+As with performers, interviews with archivists, and other insightful, cross-cultural conversations about archive cinema. We hope you enjoy tuning in! Many thanks to David Barras (Strange Boat) for recording the interviews with Neil Brand, Mark Kermode and Dr Mike Hammond. These conversations were all recorded between rehearsals at HippFest 2022. Special thanks also to First Impressions: Thinking Aloud About Film, who not only dedicated an episode to HippFest earlier in the year, but who have also allowed us to use an excerpt from this conversation as part of our show. Happy listening! If you would prefer, a full transcript of this episode is available here.