The programme for the 16th annual HippFest has been announced, promising “five Flapper-fueled days of silent film and live music” from Wednesday 18 to Sunday 22 March.
The festival, which is a project of Falkirk Council and takes place in the historic Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness, will showcase the earliest decades of 20th-century cinema with a varied line-up of film screenings, live music, workshops and more.
Festival director Alison Strauss said: “We cannot wait to welcome audiences to the 16th edition of HippFest. This year’s programme contains a wealth of musical talent, both Scottish and international, with a spectacular selection of silent film, from rediscovered classics to revelatory new discoveries.
“Whoever you are and wherever you’re from, we invite you to join the festival community. You’ll discover not only great films and live music but also the beautiful town of Bo’ness and the surrounding region where each day is packed with screenings, activities and opportunities to get involved.
“We hope you’ll join us for this celebration of cinema at its best.”
Among the highlights, on Wednesday evening HippFest will welcome Dina Konradsen and Jo Einar Jansen for its opening night feature, Fante-Anne (1920).
Norway’s first indigenous feature film, Rasmus Breistein’s Fante-Anne marked the beginning of Norway’s national romantic cinema.
Presented in partnership with Tromsø Silent Film Days with support from Talent Norge and Samfunnsløftet, Konradsen and Jansen blend traditional folk music with modern electronica to create a soundscape that bridges past and present.
Following the film, audiences are invited to a Folkemølje at Linlithgow Burgh Halls, a no-pressure dance workshop and club night where folk music meets club culture.
Thursday’s programme looks closer to home with early adaptations of two of Scotland’s most beloved novelists.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s rip-roaring adventure yarn gets the silver screen treatment in Kidnapped (1920) with friend of the festival John Sweeney providing live piano accompaniment.
And Conan Doyle’s enduring detective is brought satisfyingly to life in Silent Sherlock: Three Classic Cases (1921-1923), a triple bill of entertaining adventures with live accompaniment from Günter Buchwald performing on piano and – suitably for Sherlock – the violin.
On Friday, HippFest invites audiences to step into the roaring ‘20s with three films that showcase the dichotomy of the era.
Proceedings open with the world premiere of a new restoration of April Fool (1926), a light-hearted look at the immigrant experience in 1920s New York, with live musical accompaniment from pianist, composer and improviser Meg Morley.
This is followed by one of the earliest examples of science fiction in High Treason (1929), Britain’s answer to Metropolis with a bold Art Deco aesthetic, reflecting both the optimism and anxiety of the late 1920s.
Audiences can learn more about Art Deco at the HippFest Exhibition, Art Deco Scotland: Design and Architecture in the Jazz Age (Sat 21 Feb – Sat 25 Apr), curated by Professor Bruce Peter – who will also lead the Walking Tour – Art Deco Bo’ness including a visit to the iconic Gresley Buffet Car at the heritage railway.
Saturday night’s feature film is a hugely entertaining ‘Old Dark House’ thriller. The Bat (1926) is a horror comedy that is said to have inspired artist Bob Kane for the design of the Caped Crusader’s alter ego.
With notable art direction by Oscar winner William Cameron Menzies, and stunning photography by Arthur Edeson (Casablanca) and Gregg Toland (Citizen Kane), Stephen Horne will provide live accompaniment on piano for an evening of thrills and chills.
Finally, HippFest provides the perfect fulfillment for a Sunday afternoon with Mikio Naruse’s Apart From You (1933). Less well known than his contemporaries Ozu and Kurosawa, Naruse’s quietly devastating film follows the story of two geishas selflessly devoting themselves to family, no matter the cost.
And Anna May Wong gives one of the most compelling screen performances of her career in Song (1928), playing a woman tormented by unrequited love in a role that was written expressly for her.
The full programme is now available on the HippFest website.
