The programme for the 16th annual HippFest has been announced, promising five Flapper-fueled days of silent film and live music, Wed 18 – Sun 22 Mar 2026. The Festival, which is a project of Falkirk Council and takes place in the historic Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness, will showcase the earliest decades of 20th Century cinema with a sensational line-up of film screenings, live music, workshops and more.

In anticipation of this year’s HippFest, Festival Director Alison Strauss said: ‘We cannot wait to welcome audiences to the 16th edition of HippFest. This year’s programme contains a wealth of musical talent, both Scottish and international, with a spectacular selection of silent film, from rediscovered classics to revelatory new discoveries. Whoever you are and wherever you’re from we invite you to join the Festival community. You’ll discover not only great films and live music but also the beautiful town of Bo’ness and the surrounding region where each day is packed with screenings, activities and opportunities to get involved. We hope you’ll join us for this celebration of cinema at its best.’

The Festival opens on Wed 18 Mar with a masterpiece of the silent era. While not as widely known as The Wind (HippFest 2024), Victor Sjöström’s The Outlaw and His Wife (1918) is a tempestuous melodrama that plays against the devastatingly beautiful backdrop of the mountains of Iceland. From glacier-capped volcanoes to alpine peaks, Mountain of Destiny (1924) on Sat 21 Mar, is the ultimate tale of man versus nature as Olympic ski champion Hannes Schneider and professional mountaineer Luis Trenker perform awe-inspiring climbs in this genre defining natural-world drama. And the ungovernable natural world continues with Jean Epstein’s Finis Terrae (1929) on Wed 18 Mar, in which four seaweed farmers set up camp on a bleak island off the Breton coast. Presented in collaboration with Cinetopia, the screening is the world premiere of a newly composed original score by Edinburgh-based multi-instrumentalist Dan Abrahams and French drummer Philippe Boudot, whose folk-infused score will illuminate the thrilling elemental rhythm of this land and seascape.

There’s more folk on Wednesday evening, as HippFest welcomes Dina Konradsen and Jo Einar Jansen for its opening night feature, Fante-Anne (1920). Norway’s first indigenous feature film, Rasmus Breistein’s Fante-Anne marked the beginning of Norway’s national romantic cinema. Presented in partnership with Tromsø Silent Film Days with support from Talent Norge and Samfunnsløftet, Konradsen and Jansen blend traditional folk music with modern electronica to create a soundscape that bridges past and present. Following the film, audiences are invited to a Folkemølje at Linlithgow Burgh Halls, a no-pressure dance workshop and club night where folk music meets club culture.

Thursday’s programme looks closer to home with early adaptations of two of Scotland’s most beloved novelists. Robert Louis Stevenson’s rip-roaring adventure yarn gets the silver screen treatment in Kidnapped (1920) with friend of the Festival John Sweeney providing live piano accompaniment. And Conan Doyle’s enduring detective is brought satisfyingly to life in ‘Silent Sherlock: Three Classic Cases‘ (1921-1923), a triple bill of entertaining adventures with live accompaniment from Günter Buchwald performing on piano and – suitably for Sherlock – the violin.

Staying in Scotland, HippFest presents Maurice Tourneur’s The White Heather (1919), a sensational melodrama about class, morality and social ambition. Kicking off the adventure in ‘Shetland castle… nestled amongst the heather-covered hills of Scotland’, the film features groundbreaking underwater sequences that enraptured contemporary audiences and still thrill today.

On Friday, HippFest invites audiences to step into the roaring twenties with three films that showcase the dichotomy of the era. Proceedings open with the world premiere of a new restoration of April Fool (1926), a light-hearted look at the immigrant experience in 1920s New York, with live musical accompaniment from pianist, composer and improviser Meg Morley. Followed by one of the earliest examples of science fiction in High Treason (1929), Britain’s answer to Metropolis with a bold Art Deco aesthetic, reflecting both the optimism and anxiety of the late 1920s. Audiences can learn more about Art Deco at the HippFest Exhibition, Art Deco Scotland: Design and Architecture in the Jazz Age (Sat 21 Feb – Sat 25 Apr) curated by Professor Bruce Peter who will also lead the Walking Tour – Art Deco Bo’ness including a visit to the iconic Gresley Buffet Car at the heritage railway.

The dress code is Charleston champion or HippFest glamour for the Friday Night Gala screening of Why Be Good? (1929), including ‘champagne’ reception and flapper-themed after party with live accompaniment for the film from Meg Morley and Frank Bockius to set the mood. The party continues on Sat 21 Mar with Saxophone Susy (1928), a joyous jazz-age comedy of errors about two girlfriends chasing very different dreams. Jane Gardner, Hazel Morrison and John Burgess perform live on piano, percussion and saxophone for a score that’s sure to get audiences on their feet. Finally, Festival-goers will be transported to the glittering Jazz Age on Sun 22 Mar with the Roaring Twenties Charleston Workshop, an unforgettable masterclass led by professional dancer Rowan Mitchell.

Saturday morning begins with HippFest’s traditional Jeely Jar screening, with 2-for-1 tickets with a clean jam jar. This year, Buster Keaton’s genius for slapstick, stunts and storytelling is on full display in The Cameraman (1928), an entertaining comedy packed with hilarious set-pieces and precision gags. There’s more family entertainment in Captain January (1924), a heart-warming family drama brimming with gentle humour and playful mischief. And on Sun 22 Mar, the boys in bowlers are back with the Laurel and Hardy Double Bill, two newly restored rarities featuring the world’s best-loved comedy team. First up, HippFest presents the world premiere of the new restoration of With Love and Hisses (1927) featuring local connection James Finlayson; before the afternoon finishes with Slipping Wives (1927) in which audiences can expect farcical mishaps, mistaken identities and pantomime tussles.

HippFest’s popular Platform Reels also returns on Sat 21 Mar in the form of A Phantom Tram Ride Around the UK (1898 – 1924). Dr Lawrence Napper guides audiences through the city streets of Britain from the majestic – and slow! – vantage point of the new electric trams in an entertaining and informative show accompanied by Mike Nolan and featuring glimpses of Glasgow and Rothesay at the turn of the last century.
From the oldest films at the Festival to the youngest film accompanists, HippFest’s New Found Sound invites talented young musicians from across the Falkirk District to accompany shorts from the National Library Scotland’s Moving Image Archive. This year’s selection includes a charming comedy featuring a hapless sailor, a beautifully filmed short taking in Scotland’s winter scenery, and a mesmerising experimental piece from Edinburgh filmmaker Jean L. Gray, a rare female presence in the male-dominated amateur film world of her time.

Saturday night’s feature film is a hugely entertaining ‘Old Dark House’ thriller. The Bat (1926) is a horror comedy that is said to have inspired artist Bob Kane for the design of the Caped Crusader’s alter ego. With notable art direction by Oscar winner William Cameron Menzies, and stunning photography by Arthur Edeson (Casablanca) and Gregg Toland (Citizen Kane), Stephen Horne will provide live accompaniment on piano for an evening of thrills and chills.

HippFest provides the perfect fulfillment for a Sunday afternoon with Mikio Naruse’s Apart From You (1933). Less well known than his contemporaries Ozu and Kurosawa, Naruse’s quietly devastating film follows the story of two geishas selflessly devoting themselves to family, no matter the cost. And Anna May Wong gives one of the most compelling screen performances of her career in Song (1928), playing a woman tormented by unrequited love in a role that was written expressly for her.

Away from the film programme, there are plenty of opportunities to discover Bo’ness and the surrounding region. Uncover the magic of Scotland’s oldest purpose built cinema on the Hippodrome Behind-the-Scenes Tour; join artist Marianne Greated for an exclusive look at her This Island Earth exhibition with the Callendar House Exhibition Tour and Curator’s talk; immerse yourself in the history of whisky-making in Falkirk on the Rosebank Distillery Tour; and discover historical secrets hidden by the tide with Foreshore Fragments, a hands-on walking workshop that teaches participants the practice of mudlarking.

Finally, the 16th edition of HippFest will come to a close on Sun 22 Mar with a masterpiece of the American Dream. King Vidor’s The Crowd (1928) is an intensely affecting, down-to-earth story featuring flawless performances, astonishing location work and captivating cinematography. With live accompaniment from John Sweeney, this will be a bravura finale for HippFest 2026.

Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, Leader of Falkirk Council said: ‘HippFest continues to bring clear benefits to Bo’ness and the wider area, attracting visitors to the area and supporting the town centre during the Festival week. It also plays an important role in raising the profile of the Hippodrome as a nationally recognised cultural venue’

“The 2026 programme reflects the Festival’s strong reputation for quality and international collaboration, while remaining firmly rooted in place. It shows how well-run cultural events can support local communities and offer distinctive experiences for residents and visitors alike as well as boosting the local economy.”
Ilia Ryzhenko, Manager of Film Hub Scotland: “Film Hub Scotland is proud to support the 2026 edition of HippFest, an ever-evolving organisation with stellar curation and diverse, genre-spanning programmes. I’m really looking forward to attending the festival this year, especially the Laurel and Hardy double-bill, which I’ve never seen on the big screen before, and the Phantom Tram Ride Around the UK – the most classic format of early actualities.’

Sambrooke Scott, Head of Audience Development at Screen Scotland said: ‘HippFest has become one of Scotland’s most distinctive and admired film festivals, and this edition promises to be a wonderful celebration of everything that makes it so special. Showcasing rare and restored silent films with extraordinary live musical performances, the festival continues to bring the cinematic past thrillingly to life in its evocative home that is the Hippodrome. What’s equally striking is the warmth and generosity of the HippFest team who welcome audiences of all ages, from Bo’ness and beyond, to share in a truly immersive communal cultural experience. It is fantastic to be able to support HippFest and its continued ambition, creativity and impact, and we look forward to celebrating this exciting year’s festival with audiences and artists alike.’

The 16th edition of HippFest will take place in and around the Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness, Wed 18 – Sun 22 March 2026. Tickets are on sale now, with the HippFest Festival Passes beginning at £66 and available now. A Digital Festival Pass is also available for the online Festival, HippFest at Home, with an extended 7-day viewing window Mon 30 Mar – Mon 06 Apr 2026. To book your place at HippFest and to sign up for updates from the Festival, visit hippodromecinema.co.uk/hippfest/.