Film Music Days programma aangekondigd
Talks, Masterclasses, and Workshops
The WSA Film Music Days offer a peek behind the scenes of the film industry and open up unique opportunities to meet the artists behind beloved scores. South-African composer Trevor Jones, recipient of the WSA Lifetime Achievement Awards, talks in depth about the highlights and turning points of his decades-spanning career. This year's Guest of Honour, Icelandic composer and multi-instrumentalist Hildur Guðnadóttir, gives us insight into the working process behind her scores, her ambitions, and her sources of inspiration.
Long-time collaborators composer Volker Bertelmann and director Edward Berger give a unique insight in the working process and artistic vision behind some of the key works from their oeuvre, such as the Oscar-winning epic All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) and the acclaimed thriller Conclave (2024).
Belgian director Lukas Dhont and composer Valentin Hadjadj sit together with music supervisor Pierre-Marie Dru to talk about their creative collaboration on the soundtrack for Coward, unique in its combination of a delicate original score with historical archival songs which were written and performed by actual soldiers in the trenches.
After a meet and greet with the talents shortlisted for this year’s World Soundtrack Awards, the nominees will sit down together for a round table conversation about their nominated scores, moderated by Loren Sunderland. Complementing this, a series of workshops, led by nominees Jeff Russo, Simon Franglen, Andrew Arcadi and Paris Hurley, provides small groups of participants the chance to step into the studio and experience the creative-technical process behind their music.
Re-imagining the industry
The WSA Film Music Days also serve as a platform to discuss and re-imagine the inner workings of the screen music industry and how composers and creatives can face current challenges. In times when artificial intelligence can write a full, usable film score in minutes, what does this leave for the composer? Moderator Thomas Mikusz sits down with COOL Music Group CEO Darrell Alexander and composers Simon Franglen, Martin Phipps and Adiescar Chase for a frank conversation about the corporatisation racing through screen music, who make a case for keeping human composers at the center of the score. The European Composer & Songwriter Alliance (ECSA), recipient of this year's Industry Award, sheds light on the impact of legislation on composer’s rights, the intersection of AI with author’s rights, the growing influence of streaming services, the persistent inequality within the music industry, and how EU legislation can inadvertently impact the film composer’s daily artistic practice.
Concerts and Galas
Film Fest Gent and VIERNULVIER join forces for the unmissable dream date: Videodroom. In this delightfully surprising musical segment, cult classics receive (newly composed) live soundtracks. Celebrated harpist Mary Lattimore reworks the original score of Kelly Reichardt's indie darling Old Joy with her dreamy and meditative compositions. Icelandic experimental pop pioneers múm provide a brand-new live soundtrack for the serene Canadian cult classic La vie rêvée in the presence of Hildur Guðnadóttir.
As is tradition, the WSA Film Music Days end on a festive note. During the WSA Ceremony & Concert, the winners of the prestigious World Soundtrack Awards are announced, in the categories of Film Composer of the Year, Television Composer of the Year, Best Original Song, Discovery of the Year, Public Choice, Game Music, and Belgian Film Composer of the Year. A selection of music from the oeuvre of WSA guests Trevor Jones and Hildur Guðnadóttir will be performed live by Brussels Philharmonic and conducted by maestro Dirk Brossé.