HippFest

05/09/2026

Saturday reads 📰 Only 3 weeks to go until Taste of Silents kicks off! Thanks for sharing Falkirk Herald.

'Taste of Silents, which runs from Saturday, September 26 to Saturday, November 7, begins with Queen Kelly (1929) starring the legendary Gloria Swanson and directed by Erich von Stroheim. This recently restored masterpiece of the silent era will be accompanied by Neil Brand on piano and introduced by film historian and author Pamela Hutchison.'

📰 Read in full:

The annual Taste of Silents season – an offshoot of the world famous HippFest – returns to Bo’ness Hippodrome next month.

03/09/2026

A wee throwback Thursday today to give you a peek behind the curtain at some of our year-round community engagement work. 👩‍🏫

Back in February, we worked with the Confucius Institute for Scotland to deliver a session with Falkirk Youth Theatre learning about Peking Opera: a form of Chinese opera, which combines instrumental music, vocal performance, mime, martial arts, dance and acrobatics. The brilliant session was hosted at Grangemouth Town Hall, and led by performers and workshop facilitators Ziying Jin and Ruibin Tang. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon!

📸 Image credits: Robin Mair

02/09/2026

Team HippFest enjoyed a brilliant away day last week at Jupiter Artland - and we were so busy planning, these are the best pictures we got! 🎨😅

As a largely Freelance festival team, opportunities to come together in-person and reflect on our progress, dig into audience evaluation, and consider longer-term business planning are much appreciated. Jupiter Artland offered a beautiful setting to talk strategy - even including a cheerful team of sheep to bid us farewell!

31/08/2026

Big thanks to British Cinematographer for sharing news of our upcoming Taste of Silents season at Hippodrome Cinema!

'This year’s season has been curated by HippFest’s Young Programmers, young people working with the festival to gain invaluable experience in film exhibition. Reflecting on this year’s selections, Young Programmer Helen Jockel said: “We brought our own interests and discoveries to the programme, with the aim of showcasing just how varied silent cinema can be.

“We settled on four very different films that offer distinct avenues into the silent era, from German Expressionism and avant-garde documentary to slapstick stunts and Hollywood spectacle. Whether you’re a devotee of the form, or perhaps have never seen a silent film before, we hope audiences leave with an appreciation of the excitement and invention silent cinema offers.”'

📰 Read in full:

HippFest returns with its Taste of Silents season, with a selection of silent films and musical accompaniment at the Hippodrome Cinema.

27/08/2026

Make sure to vote for Hippodrome Cinema in the British Independent Film Awards Cinema of the Year competition! 🤩 Cast your vote: https://www.bifa.film/coty-vote/?cinema=hippodrome-cinema

27/08/2026

Call out for HippFest 2027 Young Programmers! 📣 Are you age 16 - 25 and passionate about film, music, and events? We're looking for new recruits to join our team of Young Programmers helping to shape HippFest 2027. As a Young Programmer, you will:

🍿 Curate silent film screenings with live music
🍿 Plan and host wraparound events such as Q&As, workshops and socials
🍿 Contribute to blogs, podcasts, and other festival content
🍿 Gain mentoring, training, and insights into film festival programming
🍿 Collaborate with peers and build valuable industry connections
🍿 Meet monthly (a mix of online and in-person sessions at The Hippodrome, Bo’ness – with travel reimbursed)

Join us! Applications close 7 September 2026: https://www.hippodromecinema.co.uk/hippfest/youth-and-community/open-call-hippfest-young-programmers/

Images from our HippFest 2026 Friday Night Gala, ft. wonderful Young Programmer tombola bosses Eve and Alanna, courtesy of Kat Gollock.

21/08/2026

We need your help 🫵

Voting is now open for the 2026 BIFA Cinema of the Year award!

As Scotland's oldest purpose-built cinema, the Hippodrome is calling on local residents, regular visitors and film lovers from across the UK to help secure national recognition for one of Bo’ness's most treasured landmarks.

Plus, ten voters will win a year of free cinema tickets so go on, click the link in the comments and vote for The Hippodrome!

21/08/2026

A fabulous article by the equally fabulous Pamela Hutchinson in The Guardian last year, all about extraordinary silent film (and first title in our upcoming 2026 Taste of Silents season) Queen Kelly (1929)! 👸

'It’s a far-fetched tale, which sets a curious tone from the beginning with its infamous meet-cute, in which Patricia is so overawed by meeting the prince that her knickers fall to the ground. On the first day of shooting in 1928, Swanson had a premonition that the film would never be finished, and events proved her correct...'

📰 Read in full: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/aug/11/director-madman-gloria-swansons-film-queen-kelly-von-stroheim-venice
🎟️ Book tickets: https://www.hippodromecinema.co.uk/whats-on/taste-of-silents-queen-kelly-1929-plus-qa/

The Hollywood icon played a convent girl falling for a prince in this bizarre film directed by Erich von Stroheim. Decades after it was abandoned, Queen Kelly will now be shown at the Venice film festival

17/08/2026

👑 Legendary screen icon Gloria Swanson was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood when she hired, and then fired, Erich von Stroheim from Queen Kelly (1929), making it the most infamous unfinished film in cinema history.

Using Swanson's own prints and outtakes, preserved at the George Eastman Museum, archivists Dennis Doros and Amy Heller of Milestone Film have now brought von Stroheim's original script to life, fashioning this remarkable reconstruction of Queen Kelly in its most complete and spectacular form to date.

We can't WAIT to share this with you - don't miss your chance to see this very special film at Hippodrome Cinema on Saturday 26 September, with live musical accompaniment from the one and only Neil Brand, and a whole host of pre- and post-screening goodies!

🎟️ Ticket link: https://www.hippodromecinema.co.uk/whats-on/taste-of-silents-queen-kelly-1929-plus-qa/