London’s great, it really is, but sometimes a blogger has to seek wider horizons. So this year I will be packing up my laptop and getting my soy cappuccino to go. I’m hitting the road to report on the silent film festival circuit – more of which anon – and I may possibly be popping up in a cinema near you.

First, an exciting announcement! The British Silent Film Festival is back this year. We have dates and a venue confirmed – 14-17 September 2017, at the Phoenix in Leicester – but no more news yet. Barring flood or fire, I’ll be there, and I recommend that you attend also.

Before that, however, I’ll be introducing two fantastic silent films by female directors at venues that couldn’t be much further from Leicester, and each other.

• I’m introducing a screening of Shoes (Lois Weber, 1916) at the vintage Curzon cinema in Clevedon on 12 March 2017. This event is arranged by the wonderful South West Silents people and features musical accompaniment by John Sweeney. Book here!
• The full programme for this year’s Hippodrome Festival of Silent Cinema (Bo’ness, 22-26 March 2017) has yet to be announced, but they have confirmed that the first night will see a screening of The Grub Stake (Nell Shipman, 1923) with a new score composed by the amazing Jane Gardner. Expect rugged landscapes, breathtaking adventures and cute furry animals. I’ll be introducing that too. Book here!

Which brings us back to the festivals. After making all-too-brief appearances at the London Short Film Festival and Bristol’s Slapstick festival this month (excellent both), I am raring to visit some more to catch silent film screenings and programmes. Here’s a provisional plan:

• Toute La Memoire Du Monde – Paris, France, 1-5 March 2017
• Hippodrome Festival of Silent Cinema – Bo’ness, Scotland, 22-26 March 2017
• San Francisco Silent Film Festival – San Francisco, US, 1-4 June 2017
• Kennington Bioscope Silent Film Weekend – London, England, 10 & 11 June 2017
• Il Cinema Ritrovato – Bologna, Italy, 24 June-1 July 2017
• British Silent Film Festival – Leicester, England, 14-17 September 2017
• Giornate del Cinema Muto – Pordenone, Italy 30 September-7 October 2017
• London Film Festival – London, dates TBA

But surely I can do better than that? Follow this site and its social media for reports on all these events and maybe more. And perhaps I’ll be reporting back for a few different places also …

• PLUS: I should also be on your radio again this spring, and I hope, very much, that my short book on Pandora’s Box will be published in the summer. Watch this space for more on both those fronts!