HippCast

The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival

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! read less
TV & FilmTV & Film
Film HistoryFilm History

Episodes

Keith Stata 'the movie man' and the Highlands Cinemas
31-08-2024
Keith Stata 'the movie man' and the Highlands Cinemas
In today's show we hear about a very special cinema loved by its local community, Highlands Cinemas - not to be confused with the Highland Cinema in the Highlands of Scotland on Fort William High Street - this picture palace is in the Halliburton Highlands in Ontario, Canada. Digital Content Manager Christina Webber chats to the cinema's owner Keith Stata during the height of their busiest season. Our cinemas are three and a half thousand miles apart, but both celebrate that hallowed feeling invoked by a beautiful cinema space, the tangibility and materiality of our first cinema experiences, the curtains sweeping majestically in front of the screen, the carpets, the lights, the buttery smell of popcorn... All of these sensations are bound up with the time we first fell in love with the movies. Keith set about building the Highland Cinema in his backyard in 1975, and since then it has grown and grown, now housing five theatres and a museum featuring cinema related photographs, memorabilia, and an impressive vintage projector collection. They may not show silent movies, but Laurel and Hardy do make a cameo on the cinema signage! (See above). Earlier this year, Keith featured as the subject of a feature length documentary reflecting on his life's work, The Movie Man. Keith talks about his time in front of the camera, and paints an evocative picture of cinema going in the forests of Ontario - cats and bear included. What did a trip to the movies look like during his childhood? How to make the perfect iced cappuccino? And what does he think the future of cinema-going looks like? All will be discussed, and more. Relevant links: A full English transcript of this show can be found here: https://hippfest.wordpress.com/2024/08/31/hippcast-episode-17/ More info about Highlands Cinemas: https://www.highlandscinemas.com/The Cinemas' 58 resident cats: https://www.highlandscinemas.com/cats/THE MOVIE MAN (2024): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21916284/
Celebrating the 40th anniversary edition of Bonn International Silent Film Festival
31-07-2024
Celebrating the 40th anniversary edition of Bonn International Silent Film Festival
In today's episode, Digital Content Manager Christina Webber talks to Eva Hielscher and Oliver Hanley, Artistic Co-Directors of Bonn Stummfilmtage, with the 40th anniversary edition just a couple of weeks away! Eva Hielscher and Oliver Hanley have been working in research, archiving and curatorial mediation of audiovisual cultural heritage at home and abroad since 2008. Their different but complementary experiences span a diverse spectrum, ranging from film restoration and the publication of DVD or online editions to curating film-related exhibitions and film series for museums, cinemas and international film festivals. This will be their fourth year as Artistic Co-Directors. The discussion in this month's release paints a vivid picture of the 1000-strong open air silent film 'concerts' that fill eleven warm August nights. Conversation meanders from the audience to favourite moments and challenges thus far, to the upcoming 2024 programme, international reach of online presentation and dreams for the future. We hope, like us, that this fuels your interest in the Bonn International Silent Film Festival, and hope to one day see you there. If you can't make it along this year in person, the 2024 programme features many titles available to watch on demand for 48 hours, beginning 48 hours after the film's live presentation. A copy of the streaming schedule is included alongside the full show transcript on the HippFest blog. Further relevant Festival links: The Internationale Bonner Stummfilmtage websiteStream the 2024 programme hereFollow on FacebookFollow on Instagram
An architectural audio tour of Bo'ness with Geoff Bailey
27-06-2024
An architectural audio tour of Bo'ness with Geoff Bailey
Episode 15 celebrates an important June date in the Bo'ness calendar, the Bo'ness Fair. Visitors to HippFest will remember that the Bo'ness Fair Queen, who is crowned each year at the fair has joined us on several occasions at our HippFest Closing Night Gala to award prizes. The Bo'ness Children's Fair Festival, to give it its official name, was founded in 1897 and continues to be a major cultural event in Scotland, beloved by Bonessians at home, and further afield. Louis Dixon, the original proprietor of the Hippodrome, produced local topicals for the cinema, making films documenting the fair from as early as 1912 right through to his death in 1960. To get in the spirit of the fair, and of Louis Dixon himself, We thought it would be fitting to share with you an adapted version of the walking tour led by local historian and archaeologist Geoff Bailey about the Hippodrome architect Matthew Steele. Architect of the Hippodrome (1911), Matthew Steele has a lasting legacy in the streets of Bo’ness. His practice lasted from 1905-37 and in that time he created many private homes and public buildings in the town, in the Arts and Crafts, and later art deco moderne style. Born in Bo’ness and trained in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Steele worked mainly in Bo’ness throughout his life and his designs are often very recognisable. Adapted from our online video tour released as part of HippFest 2021, this audio production hosted by Geoff Bailey will guide youthrough Bo’ness to discover the buildings created by this influential architect. So spend the afternoon in Bo'ness strolling from one building to the other as you listen along; or if you're tuning in from overseas and are curious about a building, you can do the exact same using Google Maps. Happy Fair Day to all who celebrate! Learn more about Bo'ness Children's Fair Festival: https://www.thefairday.com/ A full English transcript of this episode is available to read if preferred here: https://hippfest.wordpress.com/2024/06/28/hippcast-episode-15/ See the approximate locations of each point of the tour below: 00:03:57 | Hippodrome Cinema (10 Hope Street Bo'ness EH51 0AA)00:08:07 | South Street (11 South St, Bo'ness EH51 0EA)00:09:41 | Corvi's and the old Station Hotel (5-7 Seaview Place, Bo'ness EH51 0AJ)00:12:37 | The Star Cinema (17 Corbiehall, Bo'ness, EH51 0AW)00:16:00 | 'Coffin Close' (63 Corbiehall, Bo'ness EH51 0AX)00:17:59 | 'St Mary's Buildings' (195 Corbiehall, Bo'ness EH51 OAX)00:19:26 | Seaforth (43 Linlithgow Road, Bo'ness, EH51 0DW)00:21:28 | Matt Steele's cottages (Dean Road, Bo'ness, EH51 9BH)00:22:42 | The 'Venetian Houses' (Cadzow Cres, Bo'ness EH51 9AY)00:23:45 | Duchess Nina Nurses' Home (Where Cadzow Crescent and Cadzow Lane connect, Bo'ness, EH51 9AY)00:25:29 | Matt Steele's bungalows (Cadzow Crescent, Bo'ness, EH51 9AZ)00:26:11 | Masonic Hall (Stewart Avenue, Bo'ness, EH51 9NJ)00:28:03 | Commission Street flats (Main St, Bo'ness EH51 9NG)00:29:29 | Matty Steele Building (South St, Bo'ness EH51 9NF)
2024 programme picks from the HippFest team
12-03-2024
2024 programme picks from the HippFest team
It's the annual 'programme picks' episode - a listener favourite! - and with only one week to go, what better time to have another look over the line-up? We hear from Festival Director Alison Strauss who urges audiences to check out The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric (1933) either in-person or via live-stream, plus squeezes in every Frances Marion title under the guise of one: Just Around the Corner (1921), available to view either in-person or via live-stream; Natalie Allison (Festival Producer) who is proud to present a Friday Night Gala screening of Mantrap (1926), and recommends audiences check out New Found Sound; Nell Cardozo (HippFest Development & Engagement Officer) who was blown away by the contemporary resonance of The Norrtull Gang (1923), and points audiences towards the free Pen-to-Picture exhibition at Bo'ness Library; Paul Eames (Falkirk Council Team Leader for Cultural Services) who is looking forward to re-living a memorable first viewing of The Wind (1928), seconds a need for audiences to see New Found Sound, and also recommends Queen of Sports (1934); Lesley O'Hare (Falkirk Council Cultural Services Manager) who jointly anticipates the exploits of mischievous children in both Adventures of Half a Ruble (1929) and Oliver Twist (1922); and finally Marketing Manager Abbie Dobson, whose first choice is Jenny Hammerton's Cooking with Joan Crawford workshop, followed by the gothic architecture and cinematography of The Organist at St Vitus Cathedral (1929). You can check out the full programme and everything else you need to know ahead of HippFest 2024 here: https://www.hippodromecinema.co.uk/silent-film-festival/
Composing for The Rugged Island: in Conversation with Inge Thomson and Catriona Macdonald
16-02-2024
Composing for The Rugged Island: in Conversation with Inge Thomson and Catriona Macdonald
Today's episode is centred around the upcoming HippFest 2024 opening night on Wednesday 20th March, The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric. Directed by Jenny Gilbertson, nee Jenny Brown. HippFest is proud to present this extraordinary film with the world premiere of our new music commission created by award winning multi instrumentalist and composer from Fair Isle, Inge Thomson, collaborating with another Shetland born musician, Catriona Macdonald, who is considered to be one of the world's leading traditional fiddle players. Digital Content Manager Christina chats to both musicians about their upcoming collaboration, and conversation meanders from discussing Jenny Gilbertson's sensitivity when film-making, to the incredible skill of the Shetland fishermen and crofters who turned their hand to acting in the 1933 film, to particular sounds that viewers can expect during the performance (Shetlanders make note - the Unst Bridal March will feature), and the joy of this unique musical collaboration. Sit back, relax, and enjoy, ahead of our second pre-Festival presentation premiering on Friday 23 February, which will dig a little deeper into the extraordinary life and career of Jenny Gilbertson... Relevant links An English transcript of this episode is available hereMore about Inge Thomson⁠⁠More about Catriona Macdonald⁠ Tickets for the in-person screening of The Rugged Island: A Shetland LyricTickets for the online live-stream of The Rugged Island: A Shetland LyricTickets for the online premiere of Jenny Gilbertson: 'A Real Illuminator'
Silver Screen Suppers... in Scotland!
31-01-2024
Silver Screen Suppers... in Scotland!
In Episode 11 we mark one full calendar year since starting the show by tantalising you with a bit of background about some of our events from the 2024 Festival Programme, revealing both an illustrated talk and an exciting hands-on workshop that will both be part of our exciting line-up. So in the first revelation of 2024 ... (drum roll) ... we are delighted to welcome upcoming HippFest 2024 guest, Jenny Hammerton! Jenny is the wonderful woman behind Silver Screen Suppers: the wonderful world of film star dining and drinking, a blog documenting the dishes of Hollywood icons from the silent era (and beyond). If you want to try your hand at concocting Lilian Gish's lemon pie, or trying Rudolph Valentino's 'secret spaghetti sauce', head over to Silver Screen Suppers and browse the 8000+ tried and tested recipes which await. In today's episode Digital Content Manager Christina Webber, a self proclaimed highly food-motivated individual, chats to Jenny about the origins of Silver Screen Suppers, some of the standout successes and failures Jenny has sampled along the way, the bizarre and delightful world of Eve's Film Review, Joan Crawford's aversion to bar stalls and her passion for candlelit dinners, and the ultimate conclusion that TikTok is the contemporary consumer's Cinemagazine of today. The full 2024 programme will be released on Tuesday 6 February, and tickets for both events will be bookable then. Jenny is also offering Festival Pass Holders an exclusive discount on books purchased directly from her store, details of which will be sent out in the exclusive PassHolder ahead of programme release - so if you're keen to grab a Pass early, click here whilst there's still some left! For now, though supper's served! We hope you enjoy the episode. Various relevant URLS A full episode transcript is available here: https://hippfest.wordpress.com/2024/01/31/hippcast-episode-11/Silver Screen Suppers: https://www.silverscreensuppers.com/aboutCooking with Joan Crawford: https://www.silverscreensuppers.com/joan-crawford-cookbookHippFest Festival Passes: https://www.hippodromecinema.co.uk/ticket-subscription/
Darkbox Images: Gregg McNeill on Victorian Photographic Processes
22-12-2023
Darkbox Images: Gregg McNeill on Victorian Photographic Processes
In today's episode we hear from Gregg McNeill of ⁠Darkbox Images⁠, discussing the tangibility of analogue processes and why wet plate collodion (a Victorian photographic technology) endures to this day. Gregg lives and works in Larbert as a photographer and film-maker, employing both digital and analogue photographic processes to create beautiful and unique images. We are fortunate enough to be hosting Gregg at HippFest 2024, where we know our audiences will savour the opportunity to sit for a unique portrait to take home. Excitingly, Gregg is offering a special perk for Festival Pass Holders, who will receive a complimentary debossed cabinet card to display their portrait in style!  In conversation with Digital Content Manager (and podcast wrangler) Christina - who incidentally, is also an analogue photographer - Gregg discusses the fundamentally physical process of shooting 16mm film, how lens-based technology has affected how we see and tell stories, the beauty of the collodion process, and the value of physical photographic ephemera.   Relevant links: Corresponding blog post and show transcript: https://www.hippfest.wordpress.com Support Gregg via his Patreon account: https://www.patreon.com/DarkboxImagesCheck out Darkbox Images: https://www.darkboximages.com/Book a HippFest 2024 Festival Pass: https://www.hippodromecinema.co.uk/ticket-subscription/More on Frederick Scott Archer, inventor of the collodion process: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Scott_Archer
Adventurous Viewing: Silent Film Festival Directors in Conversation
31-10-2023
Adventurous Viewing: Silent Film Festival Directors in Conversation
In today's release we are delighted to share a conversation that took place earlier this month at the University of Edinburgh, hosted by Jane Sillars, Programme Director of the Masters in Film, Exhibition and Culture, along with Lizelle Bisschoff, who runs the Film Curation Masters at the University of Glasgow. The conversation featured the participation of Lisa Hoen, Director of the Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF), who made a pit stop in Edinburgh on her way from Norway to the Reykjavik International Film Festival. The event and the following dialogue grew out of a research visit to TIFF's Silent Film Days, undertaken by HippFest Director Alison Strauss and Nell Cardozo, HippFest Development and Engagement Officer, in April 2023. In the discussion, you'll hear how HippFest and TIFF's Silent Film Days are carving out a space for silent film with live music in contemporary cinema programming, and about some of the considerations of film curation in this specialised area. Lisa's experiences programming art house and archive film in the Arctic Circle are invaluable, and we are grateful to be able to share this insightful conversation. Expect consideration of some of the challenges to silent film programming, alongside wider topics such as the crucial importance of cinemas as social spaces, and the transformative power of live music with silent cinema. We hope you enjoy! Relevant links: Read the show transcript in full hereRead Alison's account of the trip to TIFF from earlier this yearMore about Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF)More about TIFF's Silent Film DaysMore about Jo Reid's The Freedom Machine
Invisible Women on SALOME (1922)
29-09-2023
Invisible Women on SALOME (1922)
In today’s episode, released in celebration of Silent Movie Day, we share a fascinating conversation on the final title in the season SALOME (1922), between HippFest podcast-wrangler Christina Webber and members of archive activist film collective Invisible Women: Rachel Pronger, Camilla Baier and Lauren Clarke. Invisible Women are an international collective who seek out and champion the work of women and filmmakers with marginalised identities who have been overlooked, un-credited or left out of the history of cinema. By drawing attention to these forgotten stories, they aim to reinsert female voices into the story of film. And in today’s release this is certainly the case! The conversation covers the visual splendour of the film, its oddness, sexiness, and humour, its contemporary resurgence and queer and feminist reclamation, but also paints a vivid picture of the scene in Hollywood at this time, and the cast and crew behind the movie. Alleged to be an entirely queer cast, SALOME (1922) is a perfect example of the subversive networks that were able to operate at the start of the 1920s, and how despite being overlooked in film history, women like Alla Nazimova and Natacha Rambova achieved incredible success. We hope you enjoy - as always there is a full episode transcript available here. Relevant links: More about the HippFest Taste of Silents seasonBook to watch SALOME (1922) in-person at the Hippodrome (Bo'ness)Book to watch SALOME (1922) via online live-stream (available for 48 hours)Find out more about the work of Invisible Women and join the mailing list
'Journey to the Isles' - the story of Marjory Kennedy-Fraser
31-08-2023
'Journey to the Isles' - the story of Marjory Kennedy-Fraser
Episode 7 of the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival Podcast is dedicated to our touring HippFest 2022 Commission Journey to the Isles: Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, which just last week travelled to Brittany to open Le Festival International du Film Insulaire du Groix, and which will travel again for another outing at the University of Glasgow Advanced Research Centre in November! The full performance offers a mesmerizing glimpse into the landscapes, folktales, and songs that inspired Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, one of Scotland's great early collectors of traditional arts, featuring two of Kennedy-Fraser's own films preserved by the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive. Joining audiences on this journey to the isles are acclaimed live performer, multi instrumentalist and one of Scotland's leading storytellers, Marion Kenny with award winning musician, singer and songwriter, Mairi Campbell. Both artists co-created a new score, weaving together words, music and song alongside Kennedy-Fraser's enchanting films. But for those unable to attend, waiting to watch, or anyone listening in curious to hear more about Marjory Kennedy-Fraser's incredible story, we have adapted a live recording of the show from Eden Court Highlands Cinema in Inverness from October 2022 into this audio-only podcast for your listening pleasure. Researched, developed and performed by Marion Kenny, the story of Marjory Kennedy-Fraser is full of adventurous twists and turns and will paint a vivid picture of what life was like as a song collector in the early 20th century... We hope you enjoy tuning in. More about HippFest's touring commissions Book to attend the CinemARC screening (Glasgow) Nov 16th Marjory Kennedy-Fraser's films at the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive More about Marion Kenny More about Mairi Campbell
Queen of Hearts: Mary Queen of Scots in Popular Culture
20-01-2023
Queen of Hearts: Mary Queen of Scots in Popular Culture
In Episode 1 of the HippFest Podcast (or HippCast for short), we are delighted to share with you a lively and fascinating talk by Donald Smith, originally presented in March 2022, ahead of our Festival Opening Night screening of The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots (1923). 'The Loves of Mary' was a real highlight of the festival, the world premiere of a new restoration of an extremely rare film presented with live improvised piano, plus the famous Scottish storyteller, Andy Cannon taking the role of our very own Film Explainer or 'McBenshi'. This memorable screening event was made even richer by Donald's talk, which set the scene perfectly for this near-hundred-year-old costume drama. Donald Smith is an author, storyteller and director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival since 1989. His many publications include Storytelling Scotland, A Pilgrim Guide to Scotland, Wee Folk Tales: in Scots and Folk Tales From The Garden. Donald has also staged over a hundred plays and was a moving force behind the Scottish Storytelling Center and a National Theatre for Scotland.  If you would prefer, there is a full Episode Transcript available here. Links to resources mentioned in this episode are below: The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots (1895) - courtesy of The National Library of Scotland's Moving Image ArchiveThe Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots (1923) programme notes - by commissioned for the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival 2022The Ballad of the Five Marys - written by Donald Smith, Luath PressArchive Film Agency on YouTubeCelluloid Tapestry on YouTube