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By Sledge and Reindeer in Inka Länta's Winterland Photo: Courtesy of Tromso Film Festival |
Silent Film Festival HippFest has announced its programme as it celebrates its 15th edition.
The festival, which runs at the Hippodrome Cinema in Bo'ness, West Lothian, will run from March 19-23.
Among the highlights this year, are a screening of With Reindeer and Sled in Inka Länta’s Winterland (Med ackja och ren i Inka Läntas vinterland). A docufiction work from 1926, focusing on the Sámi, it will also feature the UK premiere of a new music commission by Sámi-Finnish joiker and electronic musician Hildá Länsman and sound designer Tuomas Norvio, collaborating with the Norwegian-Sámi musician Lávre Johan Eira and Swedish composer, cellist and bass guitarist Svante Henryson (you can read more about the world premiere of that at Tromsø Film Festival here).
Also featured that night is Before the Face of the Sea (Meren kasvojen edessä) (1926), accompanied by Jane Gardner and Caroline Salmon. This eerie drama bears all the hallmarks of a fully-fledged folk horror, intensified by the starkly beautiful archipelago locations of Finland.
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Mary Pickford in The Pride Of The Clan (1917) Photo: Courtesy of the Mary Pickford Foundation |
The festival is continuing its partnership with the Confucius Institute at the University of Edinburgh to present The Cave of the Spider Woman (Pan Si Dong) (1927). Adapted from one of China's most beloved novels from the Ming Dynasty, Journey to the West, this lively film features shape-shifting, cannibalistic spider-women, elaborate costumes and special effects. Günter Buchwald and Frank Bockius will accompany the epic quest on piano, violin and percussion.
The Friday night gala will be Mary Pickford's The Pride Of The Clan, directed by Maurice Tourneur. It will feature Stephen Horne on piano, flute, accordion and Elizabeth-Jane Baldry on harp.
The festival will also screened What the Water Remembers - The Dark Mirror (2025), a new moving image and live music commission inspired by the Union Canal and Falkirk Tunnel and created in partnership with Flatpack Festival, Birmingham. Artist Moira Salt uses footage and research from five different archives, weaving a mythological tale inspired by the rich recorded history and transnational cultural significance of canals. The film will premiere at HippFest 2025 on Saturday 22 March, accompanied by a newly commissioned live score by Tommy Perman and Andrew Wasylyk, known for their combination of meditative ambient soundscapes and folktronica.
Festival Director Alison Strauss looks forward to HippFest’s landmark year, saying: “The team and I are thrilled to be sharing this superlative line-up of silent films presented with unrivalled live music accompaniment. And we want everyone to know that the fun doesn’t end with great films… There are many more immersive treats on offer including excursions, quizzes, guided tours, an exhibition, workshops, talks, an online programme and of course a party! We are proud that HippFest has reached this milestone edition, and can take its place alongside the best arts festivals that Scotland has to offer, cultivating an international and ever-growing community of people with an adventurous appetite for extraordinary cinema.”
Other films in the programme include, from Germany, Chase After Millions (Die Jagd Nach Der Million) and, from France, The Swallow and the Titmouse (L'hirondelle et la mésange) (1920). There will also be an Irish focus, with films including John Ford's race track drama The Shamrock Handicap (1926).
Continuing this celebration of women working in silent cinema, HippFest 2025 will highlight the films of Alma Reville, English screenwriter, editor and wife of Alfred Hitchcock, with screenings of The Constant Nymph (1928) and The Pleasure Garden (1926), with live musical accompaniment from Mike Nolan, and Jane Gardner and Hazel Morrison respectively.
There will also be films featuring silent favourites, including Buster Keaton's Our Hospitality and Laurel and Hardy in We Faw Down and Big Business. Additional events will include Neil Brand: Key Notes, which will see the pianist reflect on 15 yars of the festival and his career.
Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, Leader of Falkirk Council said: “HippFest brings recognition to the area from across the world with many participants citing this as the most significant festival of its type anywhere. We look forward to seeing the level of support from local residents and visitors from across the UK and beyond we are used to seeing over the duration of the event.
“15 years is a great achievement for HippFest and we look forward to many more successful years in the future.”
Select events will also be available to view online on-demand within a 48-hour viewing window after the in-person screenings. For more details and to book tickets visit the official site