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The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival
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The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival (HippFest) is Scotland's first and only festival of silent film with live music. This brand new podcast features insights from a variety of HippFest evndeavours: Q&As with performers, interviews with archivists, and plenty of other fascinating conversations about archive cinema. We hope you enjoy tuning in!

  1. 31 JAN

    HippFest x Cinetopia - a new soundscape for Finis Terrae (1929)

    Happy new year HippCasters! We're back in the audiosphere with a brand new episode inspired by the premiere of a new music commission for Jean Epstein's Finis Terrae (1929), premiering at HippFest 2026. Digital Content Manager Christina Webber catches up with Cinetopia's Amanda Rogers, plus musicians Dan Abrahams and Philippe Boudot as they begin creating a brand new soundscape for this film, set on a bleak island off the Breton coast. The film’s visual style, rich in atmosphere, and with a dual sense of menace and beauty, is an exciting invitation to the musicians whose folk-infused score will illuminate the thrilling elemental rhythm of this land and seascape. The Finis Terrae project is produced by Cinetopia in collaboration with the Edinburgh Film Guild. It is funded by Cockaigne Fund, administered by Foundation Scotland, and with support from the Hope Scott Trust and Help Musicians. We are excited to host the world premiere of this new music commission as part of HippFest 2026. Enjoy the show! P.S Love HippCast? Please follow us on Spotify, or send your favourite episode to a friend. It helps! Additional reading/relevant links Full speaker bios and an English transcript of this episode are available hereBook tickets for the premiere of Finis Terrae (18 March) at HippFest 2026Cinetopia: Scotland's Film CommunityMore info on Cinetopia's project I Ken Whaur I'm GuanMore info on purchasing a HippFest 2026 Festival PassStay in touch with Dan Abrahams and Philippe BoudotMore info about ⁠Dowally⁠ (Dan Abrahams and Rachel Petyt)

    42 min

  2. 18/12/2025

    'Silent' night: visualising a Victorian Christmas

    It's that time of year again! In today's episode - a festive special featuring plenty of yule tide tangents - we talk to author Sarah Cook about 'silent' Christmas. Digital Content Manager Christina Webber has questions: were Christmas movies a thing in the silent era? Would we recognise some of the tropes of today's Christmas film in the movies made a century ago? And why does the iconography of a Victorian Christmas still have such a hold on our imaginations? Listen along to Episode 31 to hear about all this and more. As another tempting teaser, Sarah also shares a little bit with us on 'creepy' Christmas - see below - and we've included a plethora of additional reading and viewing links in the show notes in case your interest is suitably piqued...Additional reading/ relevant links: Read the full English transcript of this episodeRead 'The best Christmas films of the Silent Era' by Sarah Cook (courtesy of Film Stories)Watch Santa Claus (1898) on BFI PlayerWatch Harold Shaw's A Christmas Carol (1914) on BFI PlayerWatch The Night Before Christmas (1913) on YouTubeWatch HippFest at Home: 'A New Look at Our Oldest Films', an illustrated presentation on Victorian film made for HippFest 2024 by Bryony DixonRead more about the portrait commissioned by Prince Albert in 1848 (courtesy of the V&A)A great Christmas film every year from 1925 to now (courtesy of the BFI)More information on purchasing a HippFest 2026 Festival Pass

    39 min

  3. 27/11/2025

    Laraine Porter: How cinema transitioned to the '30s

    We mark our 30th episode by inviting independent researcher Laraine Porter onto the podcast to chat with Digital Content Manager Christina about what was going on in the film world on either side of, you guessed it, 1930. The cusp of the 'thirties was a pivotal moment for cinema, with synchronised sound radically changing operations across production and exhibition. Previously loud and boisterous sets had to adapt to operating in silence, and picture houses across the world had to make way for a whole new technology. The discussion ranges from the 'talkies' to the 'singies' and the goat gland films, and considers why some stars ended up as casualties of this seismic revolution. Additional links: ⁠A selection of Laraine's Porter's writing on this subject⁠⁠Listen to Episode 23 to learn more about Hitchcock's (silent) heroines⁠⁠Watch 'Alma Reville: in the shadow of Hitchcock?'⁠Read the full English transcript of this episode About the speaker: Laraine Porter is an independent researcher and Associate Fellow at DeMontfort University, University of Exeter and Bristol University. She was the co-founder and co-director of the British Silent FIlm Festival which ran between 1998 and 2019 and now runs as annual events at the Cinema Museum and Kings College in London. Between 2014 and 2019, Porter ran a major research project on British Silent Cinema and the Transition to Sound, and has written several journal articles on this subject.

    52 min

  4. 14/10/2025

    HippFest x Dundead - The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

    Hello listeners and welcome to Episode 29! In today's release we hear from Michael Coull, Cinema Programmer at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA), who chats to us all about one of our upcoming screenings: The Phantom of the Opera (1925).  To celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the release of this iconic film, Dundead - DCA's annual horror and cult Film Festival and programming strand - has commissioned a new score by Scottish musicians Andrew Wasylyk and Tommy Perman to be performed live at five venues across Scotland, including the Hippodrome, where we are showing the film on Thursday the 30th of October. The Phantom of the Opera tour is a Dundee Contemporary Arts and Dundead project supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI's Film Audience Network, awarding funding on behalf of Screen Scotland and the BFI National Lottery. HippFest Digital Content Manager Christina Webber chats to DCA Cinema Programmer Michael Coull about the story, and asks why Rupert Julian's 1925 version of The Phantom of the Opera ranks among the greatest horror films of the silent era.About the speaker: Michael Coull is Cinema Programmer at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) where he also programmes Dundead, DCA’s annual film festival and programme strand celebrating horror, cult and weird cinema. Dundead has been running since 2011, screening the best in new and vintage horror, and Michael took over programming in 2021. Over the years Dundead has grown to be a key part of DCA’s programme and the Dundead audience is one DCA’s most engaged and loyal audiences.Additional reading/ relevant links: Access a full English transcript of this episode here.Book tickets to The Phantom of the Opera (1925)Check out our 2025 Taste of Silents seasonMore info on Dundead Halloween (running Sat 11 - Fri 31 October 2025)Check out Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA)Listen to HippCast Episode 22 ft. Andrew Wasylyk and Tommy Perman

    40 min

  5. 28/08/2025

    Taste of Silents 2025: introduced by our Young Programmers!

    In this month's episode we hear from three of our 2025 Young Programmers, who have been busy behind-the-scenes preparing our Autumn mini-season of silent film with live music. Alanna Steel, Helen Jockel and Eve Jeffreys share what it was like working together to choose the titles and their musical accompaniments, as well as explaining a little bit about each film and the variety of extra activities surrounding the screenings. In case you needed a reminder, the upcoming season of in-person screenings features: Clarence Brown's Flesh and the Devil (1925) on Saturday 20 September, with live musical accompaniment by Stephen HorneSergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925) on Saturday 4 October, with live musical accompaniment by S!nkBuster Keaton's Go West (1926) on Saturday 18 October, with live musical accompaniment by Mike Nolan Plus a reprisal of online show HippFest at Home (again!) - Neil Brand: Key Notes for our international audiences who missed out in March. Digital Content Manager Christina dives a little deeper into how each guest first discovered silent cinema, and what being a Young Programmer with HippFest is like... All the relevant information on multi-ticket deals, booking, shuttle bus times, etc can be found on the Hippodrome website. Happy listening! Additional links from the episode Full English episode transcriptThe Edinburgh Silent Film Club (on Instagram)The Edinburgh Silent Film Club (on Facebook)

    41 min

  6. 31/07/2025

    Celebrating the launch of Penistone Film Festival

    In Episode 27 of our monthly film-focused audio show, Digital Content Manager Christina spoke to Jennifer Bulcock, the inspirational powerhouse behind the brand new (and upcoming) Penistone Film Festival! This new event is a two-day celebration of silent cinema, coming very soon to a beautiful cinema in South Yorkshire: the Penistone Paramount. Built as the assembly hall for Penistone in 1914 and screening films ever since, this beautiful multipurpose picture palace has been a home for entertainment for over a century, much like our own Hippodrome in Bo'ness. The town of Penistone, like Bo'ness, is blessed with a picturesque train station and shares a proud industrial heritage too, being renowned for its steelworks. Jennifer and her team are hard at work, designing a fun and friendly festival to introduce new audiences to the magic of silent cinema with live music. The inaugural event will run over one weekend on the 18th and 19th of October, celebrating the cinema's heritage and encouraging local audiences to try something new. And it's not just about watching films! There are local art stalls, a photo booth, stunt performers, roaming characters and period re-enactments, plus an invitation to create and submit your own silent film to an esteemed panel of judges. Christina and Jennifer speak all about the program, the festival's beginnings and purpose, as well as exploring various tangents, including TikTok and contemporary short form video viewing, working class alienation in the creative industries, and the need to invest in local community spaces. We hope you enjoy, and follow PFF your favourite social media platforms to stay up to date with goings-on. Additional reading/ relevant links: All about Penistone Film FestivalFull English transcript of this episodeEnter your own silent film into the competition!Learn more about HippFest's trip to Tromso Silent Film Days

    46 min

  7. 30/06/2025

    Introducing the San Francisco Film Preserve... via Bologna!

    For June's release we caught up with two of our favourite film archivists Kathy Rose O’Regan and Robert Byrne, during a brief pit stop between screenings at Il Cinema Ritrovato⁠, Bologna. Fresh off the back of presenting the new restoration of THE GARDEN OF EDEN (1928), accompanied by HippFest favourites Stephen Horne and Frank Bockius in Il Cinema Ritrovato‘s gorgeous Cinema Modernissmo, Kathy and Robert share some of their early festival favourites, explain the process of film restoration, and introduce the San Francisco Film Preserve. Formerly organised as part of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, SFFP commenced operation as an independent non-profit on October 1 2024. Their mission is to restore, preserve, and provide access to the world’s cinematic heritage, ensuring that works of cinema remain accessible for future generations. Through education, advocacy, and collaboration, SFFP aim to inspire a deeper appreciation for the art of film while safeguarding its cultural significance for years to come. SFFP also produce a monthly online presentation on early film restoration and discovery – on Friday 18 July Dr. Veronica Johnson will be presenting on her deep and compelling research on the first indigenous Irish film company – named, unsurprisingly, the Film Company of Ireland. Don’t miss this – though if you do we’ve been told it will be on YouTube after the event! More info here. As always, there is a full English transcript of this conversation here.All about the San Francisco Film Preserve.⁠Catch up on previous online presentations from San Francisco Film Preserve via the SFFP YouTube.⁠All about Il Cinema Ritrovato.More info on ⁠THE GARDEN OF EDEN (1928)Current projects and other restorations at SFFP.

    32 min

  8. 24/04/2025

    Young voices on 'old cinema'... again!

    A month on from our fifteenth edition, we speak to some of our youngest attendees and recent silent film converts on their highlights from HippFest 2025! This episode contains two interviews: one with our 2025 Young Scot reward winner Rhiannon Byles, and one with three of our 2025 Young Programmers: Eve Jeffreys, Alanna Steel, and Helen Jockel recorded by Dave Barras (Strange Boat Films). In a neat link, Alanna was our 2024 Young Scot reward winner, bringing Eve along for the ride, and if interested to hear their reflections on their first visit to HippFest you can catch up on episode 14 here. Rhiannon also mentions her first experience of silent film with live music - a screening of Nosferatu at the Prince Charles Cinema in London, accompanied by Hugo Max - and you can catch up on our interview with Hugo last year in episode 19 here. So many lovely overlaps!! We hope this episode prompts some of your own fond reflections on your visit to HippFest this year. Remember to save the dates for the next edition: 18-22 March 2026! Relevant links: Read a full English episode transcript hereEve and Alanna's Edinburgh Silent Film ClubNeil Brand presents: Silent Comedy Triple Bill at DCAMore info on where to next find Hugo MaxReflect on a festival even further back in time by listening to 'Young voices on old cinema' numero uno (from 2023 - episode THREE)!

    34 min
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About

The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival (HippFest) is Scotland's first and only festival of silent film with live music. This brand new podcast features insights from a variety of HippFest evndeavours: Q&As with performers, interviews with archivists, and plenty of other fascinating conversations about archive cinema. We hope you enjoy tuning in!

Information

  • Creator
    The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival
  • Show Website
    HippCast