The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival has announced a fascinating new program. It contains an exciting line-up of silent films presented with live musical accompaniment.
In addition, attendees can expect intriguing talks, workshops, and exhibitions.
Katharine Simpson (Screen Scotland) said:
“This festival offers a one-of-a-kind blend of historic films from our cinematic legacy, complemented by live music, all curated and presented for today’s audience in engaging, fun, and meaningful ways.”
Contemporary talent and Old Hollywood stars will be featured in the programme. These include Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Clara Bow and Joan Crawford.
Live appearances from musicians and silent film enthusiasts will also feature, including Neil Brand and Jenny Hammerton.
Close To Home
Depictions of Scotland on Screen are in focus. The festival opens with Peggy (1916) on 20 March, with live musical accompaniment from Stephen Horne.
Once thought lost, the film debut for Billie Burke has been reconstructed. Missing scenes are filled in with stills and text.
Later in the festival, local young musicians will accompany shorts from the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive in the annual New Found Sound screening.
Festival Director, Alison Strauss said:
“I am particularly thrilled that this year we have been chosen as the festival to host the world premiere of the prestigious new restoration of ‘The Wind’ from New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and I am over the moon that we have secured the means to commission a new accompaniment for Jenny Gilbertson’s rarely screened Scottish masterpiece ‘The Rugged Island’. “
A trip around the globe
World Cinema will also once again be featured strongly in the Hippodrome Festival programme. Silent films from around the globe will be shown.
A screening of the Swedish silent film, Per Lindberg’s The Norrtull Gang (Norrtullsligan) (1923) is dedicated to the memory of long time HippFest supporter Graham Wilson.
Exhibitions
Rounding off the festival’s line-up is an informative set of talks and exhibitions including Behind the Scenes tours of the Hippodrome; a Bo’ness Witch Trials Walking Tour with Ian Scott & Britain’s part-talkies delivered by self declared “film nerd” March David Jacobs.
The free Pen to Picture Exhibition at Bo’Ness library (17 Feb – 15 April) will showcase the colourful artwork displayed on ‘Film tie-in’ books published by the Readers Library during the early years of cinema.
The festival will run Wednesday 20 to Sunday 24 March 2024 at the Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness, Falkirk. Selected events will be livestreamed from the cinema. For more information about this, the full HippFest 2024 programme and to purchase tickets, click here.
Featured Image Credit: HippFest