2027 Festival Dates: Wednesday 17 - Sunday 21 March 2027
HippFest 2026 marked another successful year for Scotland’s annual celebration of the silent era. The 16th edition of the Festival welcomed audiences to the Hippodrome Cinema for five days of silent film with live music, culminating in a screening of King Vidor’s cinematic masterpiece, The Crowd (1928) with piano accompaniment from John Sweeney.
Over 2,800 tickets were issued for screenings and events that took place in and around Bo’ness, with a further 600 people tuning in to enjoy the Festival’s online content in the run up to the festival dates, Wednesday 18 - Sunday 22 March 2026. Audiences flocked from across the UK and beyond to enjoy the programme, with more expected to tune in online when HippFest at Home 2026 begins at the end of this month.
Festival Director, Alison Strauss was delighted with this year’s turn out, saying: “The Hippodrome is the beating heart of Bo’ness and it’s been truly magical seeing our beautiful cinema filled with people from all corners who have travelled here to be part of the HippFest community. I am grateful to all our audiences for their part in making the Festival so special – whether by joining in one of our workshops, voting in our audience awards, writing reviews, donating money on top of the cost of their ticket, or trusting us and taking a chance on an unfamiliar title.
“At the same time I’m proud of the tremendous team of freelancers and Falkirk Council colleagues, whose hard work, enthusiasm and expertise make HippFest such a high calibre event.”
HippFest’s 16th edition shone a spotlight on the early decades of cinema; exploring topics of land and nature, Scottish stories, and a celebration of the Jazz Age. A total of 27 feature films and shorts - including two world premieres - were shown across the programme, all with live accompaniment from 43 musicians, including 30 young artists from across the Falkirk region.
Highlights of this year’s Festival included a sold out screening of Saxophone Susy, with jazz-infused accompaniment from John Burgess, Jane Gardner and Hazel Morrison; and a flapper-tastic Friday Night Gala screening of Why Be Good?, with live music from internationally renowned accompanists Frank Bockius and Meg Morley which was runner up for this year’s Audience Award.
HippFest’s traditional Sunday morning comedy also saw a sell-out audience for a Laurel & Hardy double bill of Slipping Wives and world premiere of a new restoration of With Love and Hisses featuring the duo’s celebrated sidekick: Jimmy Finlayson, born just 13 miles away from the Hippodrome, in Larbert.
The Festival continued its collaboration with Tromsø International Film Festival, welcoming DJ Dina Konradsen and fiddler Jo Einar Jansen for the UK premiere of their modern score for Norway’s first indigenous feature film, Fante-Anne. And HippFest presented the world premiere of a new score from Dan Abrahams and Philippe Boudot for Jean Epstein’s Finis Terrae, commissioned by Cinetopia and the Edinburgh Film Guild.
This year’s Audience Award went to New Found Sound, HippFest’s annual project that pairs young musicians with shorts from the National Library Scotland’s Moving Image Archive. Scotland was also represented elsewhere in the programme, with screenings of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped, and a triple-bill of Silent Sherlock accompanied by Stephen Horne.
In addition to the action on screen, Bo’ness and surrounding attractions took the spotlight, with a series of excursions, events and workshops celebrating the Falkirk region. Away from the cinema, Festival-goers enjoyed a tour of the recently re-opened Rosebank Distillery and curator-led tour of Callendar House and the highly acclaimed “harsh beauty” ( ★ ★ ★ ★ The Scotsman) of the This Island Earth exhibition. While back in Bo’ness, visitors went Behind the Scenes of the Hippodrome itself, and learned more about the town with an Art-Deco inspired Walking Tour and Foreshore Fragments mudlarking workshop. Local businesses, including The Corbie Inn and Food@34A also got in on the fun, hosting the Festival’s HippFest Hub and Silent Film Quiz, put together by the HippFest Young Programmers, whilst over 200 people visited the free exhibition: Art Deco Scotland: Design and Architecture in the Jazz Age, hosted in Bo’ness Library.
Michael McGuinness, Head of Growth, Planning, Sport & Culture Falkirk Council said: “Over the past few days HippFest has once again transformed the Hippodrome into a vibrant meeting place for film lovers. Hundreds of visitors have come to Bo’ness to enjoy the unique experience of silent cinema with live music, with some travelling from across the UK and even from overseas to be part of it.
“It has been fantastic to see Scotland’s oldest purpose-built picture palace filled with audiences and musicians sharing a passion for live cinema. Our Festival celebrates the rich history of cinema while bringing fresh energy and creativity to the screen, and shines a spotlight on Bo’ness and the wider Falkirk area as a place where culture and heritage can be enjoyed by people from around the world.”
Sambrooke Scott, Head of Audience Development at Screen Scotland said: “HippFest has once again delivered packed cinemas, joy-filled experiences and an outstanding programme brought vividly to life by exceptional musicians. What makes it truly distinctive is the way it brings together different communities, welcoming both local audiences and visiting enthusiasts to share in a collective, celebratory, unique experience. As part of a wider international network of festivals championing silent cinema, HippFest plays a vital role in bringing this work to contemporary audiences. It is fantastic to be able to support a festival that continues to deliver such quality, ambition and impact and we congratulate Alison Strauss and her team on all they have achieved.”
Ilia Ryzhenko, Manager of Film Hub Scotland said: “I had the pleasure of attending a screening of Jean Epstein’s Finis Terrae at HippFest 2026 - the result of a collaboration between HippFest and Cinetopia Salon, who commissioned a live score by multi-instrumentalist Dan Abrahams and percussionist Philippe Boudot. The new soundtrack amplified a fantastic restoration of the film (whose cinematographic quality alone is modern and experimental beyond all expectations). At HippFest I’m always delighted to fully immerse myself in silent film in ways you can rarely achieve elsewhere, and this year was no exception.”
For the second year, HippFest has partnered with Letterboxd for the annual LHARAs or Letterboxed HippFest Audience Review Awards, offering audiences the opportunity to share their feedback on the films at this year’s Festival, and the chance to win £50 of Hippodrome vouchers to be used at the venue. To be in with a chance of winning, simply submit a review on Letterboxd for any films screened at this year’s Festival with the tag ‘HippFest 2026’. The deadline for submissions is Monday 6 April.
Audiences who missed out or those who would like to relive some of the magic of this year’s Festival, are invited to HippFest’s online edition. HippFest at Home will offer a seven-day viewing window of selected events filmed at the Hippodrome Cinema Bo’ness; including the Festival’s opening night feature, Fante-Anne with Dina Konradsen and Jo Einar Tobias Sterten Jansen; Saxophone Susy with Jane Gardner, John Burgess and Hazel Morrison; and The Bat with dazzling accompaniment by multi-instrumentalist Stephen Horne. HippFest at Home screenings will be available to watch on demand, Monday 30 March - Monday 6 April 2026. Booking for all online events and HippFest at Home Passes closes at midnight on Sunday 29 March.
HippFest 2026 took place Wednesday 18 to Sunday 22 March 2026 at the Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness, Falkirk. The Festival will return next year with its 17th edition, Wednesday 17 - Sunday 21 March 2027. For further information and to sign up to receive news visit www.hippfest.co.uk.
HippFest is a project of Falkirk Council, supported by Screen Scotland and Creative Scotland, with additional support from National Lottery funding through Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network.
Background
Image Fante-Anne HippFest 2026 - credit Diana Dumi
HippFest (Hippodrome Silent Film Festival) was launched in 2011 and has since become a key annual event in the cultural calendar, drawing audiences from across Scotland and beyond, and generating significant interest internationally. The event is a project of Falkirk Council, supported by Screen Scotland and Creative Scotland, with additional support from National Lottery funding through Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network.
The Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness is a stunning pre-art deco picture palace dating back to 1912. In 2009, following a major restoration, it was reopened with digital and 35mm projectors and a state-of-the-art sound system, a café and licensed bar, and is a four-star VisitScotland attraction. The Hippodrome has a year-round screening programme of new releases, family blockbusters, classics, international, independent, archive and art-house films. The cinema was recently awarded a grant from Screen Scotland’s Cinema Equipment Fund to further upgrade the projection and sound equipment. The Hippodrome was named ‘Best Cinema Experience in Scotland’ in the 2019 Scottish Hospitality Awards and shortlisted for ‘Cinema of the Year’ at the 2019 Screen Awards.
Screen Scotland drives development of all aspects of Scotland’s film and tv industry, through funding and strategic support. Screen Scotland is part of Creative Scotland and delivers these services and support with funding from the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Find out more at screen.scot and follow on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow Creative Scotland on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Film Hub Scotland - As part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network Film Hub Scotland is one of eight Hubs set up across the UK to extend film choice, increase and broaden film audiences, and enhance opportunities for audiences to engage with and learn about film. Led by Glasgow Film Theatre and funded by BFI National Lottery and Screen Scotland, Film Hub Scotland supports a network of over 300 film exhibitors – from community cinemas to multi-arts venues – with funding opportunities, screening programmes, training and networking events to help them reach as many new and existing audiences as possible.