World Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award for disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder

Artistic Director Patrick Duynslaegher explains why Giorgio Moroder was chosen for this award: "The Ghent Film Festival is very proud to welcome living legend Giorgio Moroder to the World Soundtrack Awards, where he will be presented with the World Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award. Giorgio Moroder instantly reminds us of Donna Summer's many disco hits. Her orgiastic panting hit I FEEL LOVE is the ultimate symbol of the hedonistic fun of the 70s and 80s. More than 30 years ago, Moroder revolutionised electronic dance music, and to this day, he is anything but forgotten: as the creator of synth-pop disco, he continues to be a great example for many young dance producers and electro musicians. Internationally, he inspired major performers like Madonna and electro wizard Jeff Mills. In his home country his name is also synonymous with the new disco scene. Naturally, the Ghent Film Festival wants to honour Giorgio Moroder primarily for his film music. He introduced his unusual, recognisable sound with his first score, for Alan Parker's Midnight Express (1978), with thrilling beats loudly echoing throughout the film like a human heartbeat. After his score for Foxes (which included the Donna Summer hit ON THE RADIO), Moroder achieved cult status with two scores for Paul Schrader films: American Gigolo (1980), which included the Blondie song CALL ME, and Cat People (1982), for which David Bowie sang the title song, a performance sure to set your teeth on edge. Moroder achieved his greatest commercial success in 1983 with Flashdance (two no. 1 singles and a soundtrack that sold more than ten million copies). Another major success in the film music career of the inventor of euro disco is the baroque score for Brian De Palma's masterpiece, the cocaine epic Scarface (1983). And of course there is Moroder's most audacious contribution to film music history: the new soundtrack he created in 1984 for Fritz Lang's monumental classic Metropolis. Moroder brought the crushing images of this silent film from 1927 back to life with a rock-new wave soundtrack brimming with songs by pop stars Pat Benatar, Freddie Mercury and Bonnie Tyler. Moreover, he dipped every scene into a sensational coloured hue, added all sorts of visual effects and increased the speed of the image sequences of the original edit. Some purists cried blue murder, but Moroder's electronic lifting transformed a piece destined to be forgotten on a museum display into a new film experience and a prophetic announcement of an entire new culture of zapping, mixing and sampling." The World Soundtrack Awards & concert will be held on Saturday 22 October 2011 at 8 p.m. at the Kuipke Events Centre in Ghent. The programme includes music by Moroder, Hans Zimmer (Inception), Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings), Elliot Goldenthal (Alien 3) and Abel Korzeniowski (A Single Man). The concert will be performed by the Brussels Philharmonic, conducted by Dirk Brossé, and will, as always, be accompanied by film scenes projected on a large screen. Tickets to the World Soundtrack Awards & concert cost €27, €37 or €47 and can be purchased here VIP-tickets (1st category + reception) can also be purchased via the link above.