John Powell, Peer Raben and Michael Giacchino at the 6th edition of the WSA

Since the World Soundtrack Awards and Academy were created by the Flanders International Film Festival - Ghent in 2001, this event has grown in status to become the number one annual venue for film music lovers. For the previous edition held on October 15, 2005, composer and Oscar winner Rachel Portman (Emma, The Cider House Rules, Smoke, Chocolat) shared the limelight with Mike Stoller (Elvis Presley's songwriter), Flanders's very own Raymond van het Groenewoud and the Argentine composer Gustavo Santaolalla. In a world premier, Santaolalla played a live rendition of his music from Brokeback Mountain, a soundtrack for which he was later awarded an Oscar. The most important prize that evening went to the Italian composer Angelo Badalamenti, who is well known for his many years of work with cult director David Lynch. He accepted in person the Soundtrack Composer of the Year award, which was given to him for his soundtrack to Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles. The sixth edition of the World Soundtrack Awards will feature the Flemish Radio Orchestra, conducted by Dirk Brossé, playing a live rendition of music by Michael Giacchino (Mission Impossible III, The Incredibles, Lost), who last year was awarded the title of WSA Discovery of the Year. Unfortunately, due to a previous engagement, Michael Giacchino will not be present in Ghent, but his absence will be more than compensated by the presence of the internationally renowned composer Peer Raben. Raben was the in-house composer for R.W. Fassbinder and will receive a World Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award for his varied and successful career. The film composer John Powell, who is mostly known for his soundtracks for United 93, Shrek, Chicken Run, The Italian Job and The Bourne Supremacy, will also be there that evening. For this last film, Powell was nominated for best soundtrack and best composer during the previous edition of the World Soundtrack Awards. As is the case each year, there will also be a Belgian artist at the podium for the presentation of the World Soundtrack Awards. This time it will be Piet Goddaer, better known as Ozark Henry, who wrote the music for Crusade in Jeans. The complete programme for the World Soundtrack Awards 2006 will be published at a later date. Keep an eye on the website www.worldsoundtrackawards.com to stay abreast of the latest updates. Film music fans worldwide can cast their vote for what they consider the best soundtrack of the past 12 months (for any film released between 1 JULY, 2005 and 30 JUNE, 2006) on the same website. The soundtrack that gets the highest number of votes will receive the Public Choice Award. Tickets World Soundtrack Awards, Saturday October 14, 2006 at the De Bijloke concert hall in Ghent. Tickets: € 40, € 32 (+ € 2 reservation fee a ticket and € 1,10 mailing cost an order) via Teleticket (www.teleticketservice.com) or by phone: Tel. 070 345 345 (from Belgium) Tel. 0900 45 000 45 (from The Netherlands) Tel. +32 34 0000 34 (from abroad)