The swanky premises of Edinburgh Gin Distillery may be a far cry from the 1920’s gin joints that were their predecessors, but they served as a fitting venue for the launch of this year’s Hippfest programme. Now in its 16th year, Hippfest once again packs a variety of silent film and live music into the wee pre-art deco gem that is the Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness. This Falkirk Council project not only showcases early 20th Century cinema, but offers several events outwith the cinema environment such as tours, a quiz, a Folk Dance concert and the return of Platform Reels.
But back to the main event – these original moving pictures!
Hippfest brings a range of films from Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Japan, USA and the UK that each have live music accompaniment from an array of talented musicians that adds to the very special atmosphere.
Victor Sjöström’s melodrama shot against Iceland’s mountains, The Outlaw and His Wife (1918), opens and is followed by Jean Epstein’s Finis Terrae (1929), fittingly set on an island off the Breton coast as Falkirk once was twinned with Quimper in Brittany. The opening night also sees, Rasmus Breistein’s Fante-Anne (1920), Norway’s first indigenous feature film.
The Scottish strand comprises a US Kidnapped (1920); from UK Silent Sherlock: Three Classic Cases (1921-1923) and also from US The White Heather (1919) featuring groundbreaking underwater sequences.
Taking a timeous look at the immigrant experience in 1920s New York, is the world premiere of a new restoration of April Fool (1926), and in one of the earliest examples of science fiction is High Treason (1929), regarded as Britain’s answer to Metropolis.
Friday Night Gala dress code is Charleston for the screening of Why Be Good? (1929), that includes a ‘champagne’ reception and after party. No excuse not to take part as there’s a Roaring Twenties Charleston Workshop, led by professional dancer Rowan Mitchell.
Reviving the (very!) old tradition of getting in to the pictures cheaply, there are 2-for-1 tickets with a clean jeely (jam) jar to see Buster Keaton’s The Cameraman (1928). Captain January (1924), a drama featuring US child star Baby Peggy, is followed by Mountain of Destiny (1924) featuring a ski champion and professional mountaineer, then Saxophone Susy (1928), a jazz-age comedy of errors about two girlfriends. A late showing of horror comedy The Bat (1926), that may have inspired artist Bob Kane’s design of the Caped Crusader, rounds off Saturday’s treats.
Young musicians from across Falkirk District are invited to accompany shorts from the National Library of Scotland’s Moving Image Archive in New Found Sound, which is followed by what is surely a de rigeur Laurel and Hardy Double Bill.
Apart From You (1933), the story of two geishas devoting themselves to family no matter what, is followed by Richard Eichberg’s Song (1928), starring Anna May Wong in a bespoke role as a woman tormented by unrequited love.
US King Vidor’s masterpiece The Crowd (1928) about the American Dream is the grand finale of what looks like an entertaining few days in Borrowstounness!
Dates: Wednesday 18th – Sunday 22nd March 2026
Venue: Hippodrome Cinema, Bo’ness
Tickets are on sale from 12noon on Wednesday 4th February
A Digital Festival Pass is also available for the online Festival, HippFest at Home, with an extended 7-day viewing window from Monday 30th March – Monday 6th April.
Full details at www.hippfest.co.uk
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 