These projects found their composer through Third Character at WSA

Blijf Third Character
News 13 Jan 2026
With Third Character, Film Fest Gent and the World Soundtrack Awards offer filmmakers and producers the opportunity to discover new musical talent. During the annual film music market, organized in collaboration with Music & Cinéma Marseille, selected composers pitch for short and feature films that have already received production support. Discover below a selection of the film projects that found a musical match through the initiative.

About Third Character

A third character. That's how Federico Fellini referred to film music, highlighting the importance of music and sound. With Third Character, an international film music market, we do exactly that.

The project gives composers the opportunity to meet duos of producers and directors who are working on a film project. It's the perfect way for composers, directors and producers alike to build a network and to find common creative ground. Collaborations born out of these meetings have the opportunity to apply for financial support for the score through authors' rights organisations Sabam, Sacem and Buma Music in Motion (BMIM) (only for member composers).

The Third Character project is a unique initiative developed by Festival International Music & Cinema Marseille (MCM) and Sacem, and is annually organised in Marseille in April during MCM and in October in Ghent as part of the WSA Film Music Days.

Registration for 2026 will open in the spring. If you have any questions, please contact hanne@filmfestival.be.

Recent Third Character projects

A selection of film projects that were recently completed and got to know their composers through Third Character.

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Stay (Blijf) - dir. Nick Ceulemans, music by Bart Van Lierde

Menuetto, selected for Filmfestival Oostende 2025

A young man fights alongside and against the love of his life, as she struggles with an elusive psychological condition.

Coral City Third Character

Coral City - dir. Charlotte De Cort, music by Pieter Van Dessel

Associate Directors, selected for Docville 2025, Kortfilmfestival Leuven 2024

Together with a Belgian research team, a young Sri Lankan scientist and mother tries to uncover the secret of migrating coral larvae, in order to protect the coral reefs and people of her country.

Tantalum Third Character

Tantalum - dir. Matthias de Groof, music by Thomas Walravens

Cobra Films, Yole!Africa, Les Mecs, selected for Kortfilmfestival Leuven 2025

Tantalum follows the trajectory of a tiny piece of tantalum: from the Congolese mine to military equipment, a Ghanian dumpsite, and finally to outer space.

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The Sessions (De Sessies) - dir. Sien Versteyhe, music by Patricia Vanneste

Lionheart Productions, selected for Internationaal Documentaire Festival Amsterdam 2025

The Sessions pulls you into one woman’s fight to reclaim her voice and future after she became a victim of sexual violence by someone she trusted.

Day sun stopped shining Third Character

The day the sun stopped shining (De dag dat het zonlicht niet meer scheen) - dir. Maria Stuut, Frederik Stuut, music by Sören Le Lay

Associate Directors, selected for Docville 2025

66 million years ago the dinosaurs went extinct; this is not an impossible love story, it’s a true crime, set in deep time.

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Standby - dir. Daphne van den Blink, music by Ruben De Gheselle

Lionheart Productions, selected for Docville 2025, Ji.hlava 2025

Standby portrays the journey of four young adults during a crucial NATO training where they experience what it means to be on standby every single day.

With the support of