30/05/2013
Tickets on sale for 13th WSA & concert with Alexandre Desplat & Riz Ortolani
The Ghent Film Festival is delighted to welcome the French composer Alexandre Desplat to the traditional film music concert during the second part of the World Soundtrack Academy award ceremony which will bring the 40th film festival to a festive end. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented during the award ceremony of the WSA concert goes to the Italian composer Riz Ortolani, born in 1931 in Pesaro, Italy. Together with Ennio Morricone and the late Carlo Rustichelli and Nino Rota, Ortolani is one of the greats of Italian film music from the golden era of Italian cinema. Click here to buy your tickets!
13/05/2013
Young composers rescore Scorsese's short film 'The Big Shave' ('68)
Young European film music talent will have another chance to win the highly sought after SABAM Award For Best Young European Composer. This award was created by the World Soundtrack Academy and is worth € 2 500 and the live performance of the three finalists’ compositions by the Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé during the presentation of the World Soundtrack Awards on 19 October at the venue ‘t Kuipke in Ghent. This is the official closing ceremony of the 40th Ghent Film Festival (8 - 19 October 2013). Candidates must be younger than 36 years old and must be European or have been born in Europe. Registrations will be accepted via this link until 11 July 2013.
07/05/2013
A first glance at the festive 40th edition of the Ghent Film Festival
Undoubtedly age is all in the mind, seeing as the Ghent Film Festival, a few months from its 40th anniversary, looks younger and more innovative than ever. There is a fresh wind blowing through the festival’s organisation, inspiring new energy in every aspect of the event: a new house style has been developed with a brand new logo, a new website is under development and new accents are enriching the programme. To give prominence to its 40th anniversary, the 2013 Ghent Film Festival will focus on American independent cinema, including a spectacular retrospective exhibition of the work of Martin Scorsese and a concert featuring the music from Scorsese's films. Guest of honour at the 13th WSA concert is four-time WSA 'Composer of the Year' winner Alexandre Desplat. This year’s WSA 'Lifetime Achievement Award' goes to the Italian composer Riz Ortolani.
Alberto Iglesias is 'Film Composer of the Year' at 12th World Soundtrack Awards
The World Soundtrack Academy announced tonight the winners of the World Soundtrack Awards 2012, the closing event of the 39th Ghent Film Festival. Alberto Iglesias was chosen as Film Composer of the Year 2012, for his soundtracks for ‘Le Moine’ (‘The Monk’), ‘La Piel Que Habito’ (The Skin I Live In) and ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’. He also went home with the award for Best Original Film Score of the Year for ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’. Brian Byrne received the World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Written for Film for ’Lay Your Head Down’ from the film ‘Albert Nobbs’. Byrne also won the Discovery of the Year Award. The Public Choice Award went to Abel Korzeniowski for the film ‘W.E.’. Pino Donaggio received a World Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to him by Mike Stoller.
Rita Coolidge to perform her hit All Time High on ‘007 in concert'
International star and Grammy Award winner Rita Coolidge will be the special guest of '007 in concert', during which she will perform her hit song 'All Time High' from the classic Bond film Octopussy. Coolidge completes the line-up of ‘007 in concert’. For this event, popular Flemish pop and rock artists such as The Van Jets, Natalia, Koen Wauters & Eva Jacobs, Jasper Steverlinck, Lady Linn, Sioen, Pieter Embrechts, Noémie Wolfs (Hooverphonic), Barbara Dex, Marie Daulne (Zap Mama), Paul Michiels, Renée, Lola (AKS), August Albert (Kristof of Customs), Glenn Claes and Styrofoam feat. Leki will share their personal interpretation of their favourite James Bond title song.
The World Soundtrack Academy announces Composition contest finalists
Three finalists wil have the chance to win the highly sought after SABAM Award For Best Young European Composer. This award was created by the World Soundtrack Academy to promote and stimulate young and talented composers. The finalists are Peter David Bateman (UK), Michail Palaiologou (Greece) and Valentin Hadjadj (France). Their compositions will be performed live by the Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Dirk Brossé during the presentation of the World Soundtrack Awards on 20 October at the venue ’t Kuipe in Ghent. This is the official closing ceremony of the 39th Ghent Film Festival (9-20 October Ghent).
WSA Discovery of the Year nominees announced
The five nominees for the Discovery of the Year Award, via which the World Soundtrack Academy rewards up-and-coming talent from the previous year, have been announced. The award will be granted during the World Soundtrack Awards & Concert on 20 October at the Kuipke Events Centre in Ghent.
World Soundtrack Awards Announces 2012 Nominees
The World Soundtrack Academy has announced the list of its nominees for the 2012 Awards to be presented in three categories: 'Film Composer of the Year', 'Best Original Score of the Year' and 'Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film'. The names of the winners will be announced at the World Soundtrack Awards & concert on Saturday, October 20, the closing night of the Ghent International Film Festival.
Dirk Brossé celebrates 75 years of classic film scores
Dirk Brossé, currently Music Director of the Chamber Orchestra Of Philadelphia, will make his début with the European Union Youth Orchestra this summer with a celebration of scores from more than 75 years of cinema history. In a special tribute to John Williams, who turned 80 this year, the Orchestra will perform five of his scores - including the instantly recognisable Main Title from 'Star Wars' – alongside music from other legendary film music composers, such as Bernard Herrmann, John Barry and Erich Korngold, as well as composers such as R Strauss and Luigi Boccherini, whose music appears in 2001: 'A Space Odyssey' and 'Master and Commander'.
Legendary composer and conductor Marvin Hamlish dies at 68
Composer and conductor Marvin Hamlisch, best known for the torch song 'The Way We Were', died Monday. He collapsed after a brief illness, his family announced. He was 68 years old. In 2009 he was honored at the Ghent Film Festival with a World Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award.
