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Every year the advisory board of the World Soundtrack Academy chooses a 'Discovery of the Year' to celebrate emerging film composing talent. Famous composers as Klaus Badelt, Antonio Pinto, Craig Armstrong, Michael Giacchino, Gustavo Santaolalla and last year's Nico Muhly were discovered by the board.

On October 20th, the Ghent Film Festival and Hogeschool Ghent are organising a film music seminar with composer Stephen Warbeck (Shakespeare in Love, Billy Elliott) at which he will present his working method, illustrating it with music and film clips. The seminar will take place at the Zwarte Zaal of KASK (Bijloke site) from 10 am to 4 pm. The main question is How does film music contribute to the narrative structure of a film?

The World Soundtrack Academy announced tonight the winners of the World Soundtrack Awards 2010, the closing event of the 37th Ghent International Film Festival. Alexandre Desplat was chosen as Film Composer of the Year 2010 and took home the award for Best Orginal Film Score of the Year (Fantastic Mr. Fox) for the second year in a row. Ryan Bingham & T Bone Burnett received the World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Written for Film ('THE WEARY KIND' from "Crazy Heart") and Abel Korzeniowski is the Discovery of the Year Award and Public Choice for A Single Man. John Barry received the World Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award.

Some highlights of the 10th World Soundtrack Awards

As news of veteran publicist Ronni Chasen's death from multiple gunshot wounds spread through Hollywood Tuesday morning, those who knew her -- and few people didn't -- expressed shock and dismay at the violent end to the life of a woman known throughout the biz as a force of nature and a tireless advocate for her clients.

Composer John Barry, famous for his work on Born Free, Out of Africa and the James Bond films, has died in New York of a heart attack aged 77. Barry received a lifetime achievement award at the Ghent Film Festival in October 2010. A concert with Barry's most famous music was held for an audience of more than 2500 people. Due to his medical condition, John Barry could not be present in Ghent to accept his award. He asked colleague David Arnold to accept the Award in his place. John Barry deeply regretted his absence from the concert and expressed his disappointment in a warm-hearted video addressed to the Ghent Film Festival and especially to Jacques Dubrulle and Marian Ponnet.

The Board of Directors of the Ghent Film Festival has appointed Dirk Brossé as Music Director. This further strengthens the successful collaboration spanning several years between the Ghent Film Festival and Dirk Brossé. As Music Director of the Ghent Film Festival, Brossé will serve as adviser for the compilation and programming of classical film music concerts. He will also be closely involved in the realisation of the festival's other musical projects, such as CD and DVD recordings.

Young European film music talent will have another chance to win the highly sought after SABAM Award For Best Young European Composer. This award was created by the World Soundtrack Academy and is worth €2500 and the live performance of the winning composition by the Brussels Philharmonic - the Orchestra of Flanders during the presentation of the World Soundtrack Awards on 22 October in the Kuipke in Ghent. This is the official closing ceremony of the 38th Ghent Film Festival (11-22 October 2011). Candidates must be under 36 and must be European or have been born in Europe. Registrations will be accepted via this link until 30 June 2011.

On 3 and 4 June, Dirk Brossé conducted two sell-out 'Star Wars in Concert' performances at the Hollywood Bowl. These film music concerts have been touring the world since April 2009 and combine the unforgettable music by composer John Williams with specially edited scenes from the six Star Wars films. The two concerts in Los Angeles, performed by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, attracted 50,000 spectators.