Search

On behalf of the World Soundtrack Academy, Film Fest Ghent proudly presents the first batch of names for the prestigious World Soundtrack Awards 2021. The first round of nominees, in the categories of Film Composer of the Year, Television Composer of the Year and Best Original Song, includes established composers and emerging talent. Some composers even receive double nominations. Nicholas Britell, Daniel Pemberton and Emile Mosseri are nominated twice, with each of them obtaining a nod in the Best Original Song category. Thanks to this exciting mix of nominees, the World Soundtrack Awards again promises to be a special celebration of film music, honouring the best composers of the past year.

Film Fest Ghent and Arts Centre Voo?uit are collaborating for the fourth time for a new edition of VIDEODROOM. In October the festival will present exclusive nights that are bringing live music and film together. VIDEODROOM is taking place from 13 till 23 October. Tickets are now available.

Greek composer, author and politician Mikis Theodorakis has passed away at the age of 96 in Athens. Hij composed more than 1000 songs, cantates, operas and oratorios, music for ballet and for some sixty movies. His oeuvre can be considered a musical history of Greece. Yet Theodorakis wasn't just an acclaimed artist, he was also an outspoken political activist. He received many prestigious peace and music award. In 2007 he received the World Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award.

The World Soundtrack Academy announces a new wave of nominees for the prestigious World Soundtrack Awards 2021: Nainita Desai and Natalie Holt are piling up the nominations and Gavin Brivik and Amelia Warner, no strangers to the WSA, return to the competition this year as possible winners of the Discovery of the Year and Public Choice Awards respectively. And with that, all nominees for the WSA2021 have now been revealed.

After going online for the 20th edition of the World Soundtrack Awards in 2020, the ceremony and concert were returning to a full physical event in 2021, which was a thrill for composers, delegates and the audience. Screen International devoted a special supplement to the nominees and guests of honour of the 21st edition, in collaboration with Film Fest Ghent.

Some highlights of the 2021 WSA Film Music Days.

Relive the WSA Industry Days 2021 through our video gallery, including parts of the live concerts and Talks & Masterclasses!

Every year Film Fest Ghent and Brussels Philharmonic dive into the studio to create an exclusive WSA Album. This yearly compilation album honours world-renowned film composers whose music deserves the spotlight. This year, we’ve released three exclusively expanded reissues of previously released albums dedicated to the work of Mychael Danna, Shigeru Umebayashi and Gabriel Yared. The music is performed by Brussels Philharmonic and Vlaams Radiokoor, conducted by Dirk Brossé, and recorded by Motormusic at Flagey's legendary Studio 4 in Brussels.

Daniel Pemberton has won the Film Composer of the Year Award at the 21st World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony in Ghent. Carlos Rafael Rivera received the Television Composer of the Year Award. “Call me Cruella” from Disney’s Cruella was presented with the Best Original Song Award, while Nainita Desai took home the Discovery of the Year Award. Benji Merrison and Dougal Kemp were honoured as well. Eleni Kariandrou received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

From 20 until 23 October 2021, film music professionals, students and fans gathered in Ghent for the annual WSA Industry Days. Through a mixture of seminars, composer's talks, panel discussions and masterclasses, they all got a glimpse behind the scenes while scrutinizing the current state of affairs in the film music industry. Among the highlights: established names such as Max Richter, Natalie Holt and Nainita Desai discussing their work. Watch their talks and more below.