HippFest announces line-up for 16th festival
The celebration of silent cinema will use ‘sweet 16’ as its theme
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The programme for HippFest has been announced, with the historic Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’Ness once again set to celebrate silent cinema with a selection of film screenings, live music, workshops and more.
Taking place from Wednesday 18–Sunday 22 March, the theme of this year’s edition is ‘sweet 16’ as the festival marks its 16th programme. Opening the festival will be The Outlaw And His Wife, a silent melodrama from Victor Sjöström, the Swedish director who was one of the most innovative voices at the peak of cinema’s silent era.
Other highlights on the bill include a Friday Night Gala screening of Why Be Good? (pictured above), the 1929 film about a party girl and the romantic affair she has with her boss’s son. Continuing the celebration of flapper girls is Saxophone Susy, and a workshop will be on offer teaching people how to authentically dance the Charleston.
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The festival’s regular screenings of Buster Keaton and Laurel & Hardy classics will also continue, with The Cameraman showcasing Keaton’s deadpan physical wit, and both With Love And Hisses and Slipping Wives providing a dose of farce from slapstick comedy’s most enduring duo.
Closing the festival will be King Vidor’s vaunted classic The Crowd, one of silent cinema’s final masterpieces before the talkies changed the industry forever. The screening will feature live accompaniment from John Sweeney.
HippFest’s 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.’
HippFest, various venues, Bo’Ness, Wednesday 18–Sunday 22 March.