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| Going live at the Hippfest launch Photo: Lisa Evans |
The full programme for Hippfest 2016 was revealed today at the Hippodrome Cinema in Bo'ness, Scotland's oldest purpose-built cinema. There was music from Herschel-36 and Jane Gardner, who are composing new live scores for festival films, and it was announced that the opening film will be 1930 Soviet classic Earth, rarely seen but widely considered to be one of the best films ever made.
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| Wunder Der Schöpfung |
The festival, which secured funding in November, is the country's only event dedicated entirely to silent film. It will close with the original Stella Dallas, starring Belle Bennett, which was later reworked as a vehicle for Barbara Stanwyck. Also in the programme are a Laurel and Hardy triple bill, a Buster Keaton short whose ending has only just been discovered after being lost for decades, and 1925 German documentary Wunder Der Schöpfung (literally 'the miracle of creation'), which will be introduced by John C Brown, the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, and will feature a live jazz score.
This year's festival has a special focus on unsung women of the era, including comic actresses Anita Garvin, Marion Byron and Beatrice Lillie. While most screenings will take place in the Hippodrome, there will also be a special outdoor screening of train based thriller The Wrecker at Bo'ness Railway Station.
"HippFest 16 promises our audiences unparalleled experiences – the chance to see rare and recently restored films," said festival director Alison Strauss. "We rejoice in [its] reputation for a warm and welcoming atmosphere and the support and enthusiasm of the town... Everyone who comes along can be part of the glamour and excitement of our truly unique festival."
Hippest will run between the 16th and 20th of March and tickets are on sale now.
