Good news for cinema goers as Bo'ness Hippodrome confirms re-opening date

The Hope Street flicks has gained world fame over the last decade thanks to its popular annual Silent Film Festival – or Hippfest as it has become known – but it has been closed for most of 2020 due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

That is about to change as film fans received the announcement of an early Christmas present from Falkirk Community Trust.

Lesley O’Hare, Falkirk Community Trust culture and libraries manager, said: “We plan to open on Friday, December 4 – although that may change. We will have our normal festive season of films – our usual mix of classics and world cinema."

And of course the annual showing of Jimmy Stewart’s timeless 1946 feelgood film It’s A Wonderful Life.

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Lesley said: “The main challenge for all cinemas is the relative lack of new product out there at the moment. Distributors are hanging onto films, including the new Bond film, but there is still quite a bit of product out there.

"The Hippodrome doesn’t really rely so much on the big blockbusters, although we love to show them.”

Lesley said The Hippodrome has applied for funding from Screen Scotland which is only available for smaller independent cinemas and not large multiplexes.

“If that’s successful then that will give us a little more buoyancy to see us through to the end of the financial year,” she added.

Visit www.hippodrome.co.uk for more details and listings once they appear.