Show Notes
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!
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Additional reading/relevant links Full speaker bios and an English transcript of this episode are available here Book tickets for the premiere of Finis Terrae (18 March) at HippFest 2026 Cinetopia: Scotland's Film Community More info on Cinetopia's project I Ken Whaur I'm Guan More info on purchasing a HippFest 2026 Festival Pass Stay in touch with Dan Abrahams and Philippe Boudot More info about Dowally (Dan Abrahams and Rachel Petyt)
More from HippCast
A HippFest presence in Pordenone every Autumn is something of a tradition thanks to Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, but this year, with support from the Creative Scotland Expanded Festivals Fund, Digital Content Manager Christina was able to join Festival Director Alison Strauss for the trip. Relishing the buzz in the square surrounding Teatro Verdi, for HippCast Episode 39 we were excited to capture some of the delicious silent film chatter on 'tape'... Or rather, smartphone and tiny bluetooth microphone. Please note that all of these interviews were recorded by grabbing people with only a few minutes to spare, outside in a public place. This means that all the on-site recordings feature varying degrees of background noise. Hopefully that makes the experience immersive as opposed to distracting... We are very grateful to all of our wonderful speakers who were happy to chat! Enjoy the show.
Hello HippCasters, we're back in the audiosphere this month with a double whammy of musical goodness! In today's show we hear from Jane Gardner and Hazel Morrison, a familiar and much beloved HippFest duo, following their recent visit to Tromsø Silent Film Days and ahead of their performance as part of our Taste of Silents season accompanying Murnau's Faust (1926). Conversation varies merrily from the days of silent film on British TV, to some of the stranger instruments (/body parts?) used in past scores, and of course a wee musical preview of what to expect in October. As always, a full English transcript, and more information about Jane and Hazel, can be found here. Happy listening! Relevant links See all the screenings in our 2026 Taste of Silents season Faust (1926) with music accompaniment from Jane and Hazel Check out Jane Gardner's website here Read the 2023 blog by Alison Strauss Silent Siblings: HippFest Goes to Tromsø Silent Film Days Learn more about Tromsø Silent Film Days Learn more about some of the screenings mentioned (including The Goose Woman - 1925, The Grub Stake - 1923) by reading our Programme Notes
Our podcast guest this month is none other than the wonderful Kate Saccone! Kate is a film curator, scholar, and editor based in Amsterdam. She received her PhD from the University of Amsterdam in May 2026. She is the project manager and an editor of The Women Film Pioneers Project and currently serves as board president of Women and Film History International. In this month's episode Kate and Christina, our HippFest Digital Content Manager, chat about the breadth of Kate’s expertise, feminist historiographies, and the twin joys and challenges of uncovering and re-learning how we think about early cinema. As Kate states in the show, silent film culture is really thriving, and thus the conversation features a host of excellent recommendations for films, film-makers, organisations, research and other enticing silent era thought-threads. Make sure to check the links below for all the resources mentioned throughout, and as always, a full English transcript of the conversation is available here. Happy listening!
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