About Third Character

Federico Fellini used to call film music the "third character", valuing the importance of music as a vital part in cinema, and thus appreciating the art of composing for screen. 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.

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).

Matchmaking

How exactly does the matchmaking process work? Directors and producers can submit the scenario or a specific scene of a film project. The material will be sent to the selected composers, who will make a few demos based on the vision and expectations of the director and producer concerning the atmosphere or style of the soundtrack.

The event is free. Travel and accomodation are at the participants' own expense.

Call for projects and composers

The call for the 2026 edition of Third Character for film projects will open in March 2026. Composer can register from June 2026 onwards. Subscribe to the WSA Newsletter so you don't miss the open call.

Subscribe to the WSA Newsletter

Requirements

For film projects
- Short or feature films
- Fiction, animation or documentary
- Received financial support and thus confirmed to be produced
- Shooting has not yet started
- No composer linked to the project yet
For composers

In order to participate, composers should be a member of authors’ rights organisations SABAM, SACEM or Buma Music in Motion (BMIM).

3RD CHARACTER @ MCM

Find all information about the 3rd Character project at the Festival International Music & Cinema Marseille on their website.

Past editions

Edition 2025
Selected composers

Alexandre Haudiquet - Amin Goudarzi - Anne-Sophie Marquant - Clémentine Charuel - David Poltrock - Dimitra Alexiou - Élodie Fournot - Eric Ronsse - Evert Van Eynde - Gabriele di Franco - Guillaume Van Parys - Hernan Castro Fioravanti - Jeanne-Peri Foucault - Joao Orecchia - Justine Bourgeus - Kasia Głowicka - Lotte Alma Auer - Mert Gençer - Pascale Salkin - Raphaël Delunsch - Ruben De Gheselle - Patricia Vanneste - Sam van Ommen - Sarshar Ghozat - Sofia Dragt - Sonia Kiang - Sterre Hond - Sylvia Filus - Theo Carpentier

Selected film projects
- MTAZAMAJI - The Observer (Director: TD Jack Muhindo Mahamba, Producers: Karen Huysman, Martijn D'haene)
- Land Ally (Director: Amanda van Hesteren, Producer: Anne van der Ven)
- (No) Birds of a Feather (Director: Lode Desmet, Producer: Nina Payrhuber)
- Who am I, upon awakening? (Director: Lize Cuveele, Producer(s): Nina Landau, Nina Payrhuber)
- A House on the Beach (Directors: Marisa Crespo, Moisés Romera, Producers: Gustavo Ferrada, Winnie Baert, Arnauld de Battice)
- Something in the Wind (Director: Nelson Polfliet, Producer: Sven Spur)
- Dreamwalker (Director: Rudi Mertens, Producer: Veerle Appelmans)
- BUCK MOON (Director: Frank van den Bogaart, Producer: Maarten D'Hollander)
- A Distant Sky (Director: Yentl De Baets, Producer: Sven Spur)
- De Floor is Lava (Director: Demian van der Wekken, Producer: Idris Bakker)
- Coup De Vent (Director: Charlotte De Cort, Producers: Samuel Bruyneel, Jotie Groenwals)
- Papsi (Director: Daphne Wellens, producer: Dimitri Verbeeck, Kemi Oliha)
Edition 2024
Selected composers

Jeanne-Peri Foucault - Ralph Smit - Patricia Vanneste - Elena Pisano - Milán Hodován - Léa Keyaert - Agathe Lavarel - Judith Rijsenbrij - Olivia Carrère - Sylvia Filus - Romain Allender - Tom Bourgeois - Christophe Danvin - Santiago Dolan - Yves Elegeert - Baptiste Lagrave - Daniel Offermann - Florian van der Reijden - David Sanders - Adriaan Swerts - Guillaume Van Parys - Renger Koning - Rene Ahoud - Hassan Ali - Ilan Bedner - Hernan C Fioravanti - Matthias Dewilde - Thomas Foguenne - Simon Fransquet - Kevin Imbrechts - Sören Le Lay - Frederik Leroux & Ruben Machtelinckx - Andre Schoorlemmer - Thibault Torzuoli - Evert Van Eynde - Nick Verschoor - Thomas Walravens - Mirek Coutigny - Yves Gourmeur - Eloi Ragot - Daniel Verstappen - Bouke Hennipman - Thomas Vanelslander - Joris Hermy - Bart Van Lierde - Célyne Baudine - Sam Pieter Janssens - Joost Diederen - Jaco Mulder

Selected film projects
- Seasonal Workers (Director: Miron Bilski, Producers: Floor Smit, Reinier Selen, Rinskje Raap)
- The Day I Danced With My Father (Director: Sameh Alaa, Producer(s): Delphine Duez, Valentin Leblanc)
- Volta! (Director: Annabel Verbeke, Producer: Frederik Nicolai)
- TANTALUM (Director: Matthias de Groof, Producers: Daniel De Valck, Petna Katondolo, Jasper Flikschuh)
- The Wonder Below (Directors: Nina Landau, Janet van den Brand, Producers: Nina Payrhuber, Mark Daems)
- Heartbreak for Beginners / Kartonnen Dozen (Directors: Bavo Defurne, Yves Verbraeken, Producers: Tomas Leyers, Xavier Rombaut, Guillaume Malandrin)
- Sound of the Somme (short film) (Director: Michaël Vermaercke, Producers: Piet Sonck, Elena Reynaert)
- The Time It Takes for Dust to Settle (Directors: Maria Stuut, Frederik Stuut, Producers: Mark Daems, Nina Payrhuber)
- Helter Skelter (Director: Paul Vincent de Lestrade, Producer: Anne-Laure Guégan)
- We Both Know (Director: Sien Versteyhe, Producer: Wouter Sap)
- En met u? (Director: Maï Calon, Producer: Brecht Van Elslande)
- Les Monstres seront tous anéantis (Director: Clotilde Colson, Producer: Lio Scailteur)
- Wheelie Boys (Director: Aisha Adepoju, Producers: Nina Payrhuber, Nina Landau)
- Mijn reis met een hond (Director: Martijn Maria Smits, Producer: Annemiek van Gorp)
- Patterns (Director: Evelyn Entwistle, Producer: Kristof Lantin)
- Sea Change (Director: Boris Sverlow, Producers: Brecht Van Elslande, Kristof Lantin)
- Pithead (Directors: Wannes Vanspauwen, Pol De Plecker, Producers: Jules Mathôt, Brecht Van Elslande)
- On the way to forgive I forgot myself (working title) (Director: Rand Abou Fakher, Producers: Rosa Galguera, Hans Bruch)
- A Soil A Culture A River A People (Director: Viv Li, Producer: Marc Goyens, Julian Schwandner)
- Parole d'homme(s) (Director: Marie Mc Court, Producer: Annabella Nezri)
- Let the sea take away all evil (Director: Laura Vandewynckel, Producer: Maarten D'Hollander)
- Better Than Gold (Director: Leen Michiels, Producer: Maarten D'Hollander)
- Achter De Tralies van de Tijd (Behind time's bars) (Director: Stijn Geenen, Producer: Dimitri Verbeeck)
- Lazy Dog (Director: Erik van Schaaik, Producer: Anita van Dalen)
- The Place (Director: Sanne Kortooms, Producers: Floor Smit, Reinier Selen, Rinskje Raap)
Edition 2023
Selected composers

Evert Van Eynde - Emma Kélalèche - Sam Pieter Janssens - Szymon Brzóska - Marie Ann Fischer - Peter Baert - Aurélie Webb - Matthias Dewilde - John Konsolakis - Hassan Ali - Emile Cooper Leplay - Eloi Ragot - Alec Sievern - Pieter Van Dessel - Myung Hwang Park - Gimmi Pace - Tom Willebrords - Bart Van Lierde - David Heyman

Selected film projects
- All roads lead to Rieme (Director: David Bert Joris Dhert, Producer: Amir Borenstein)
- Coral City (Director: Charlotte De Cort, Producers: Mark Daems, Nina Payrhuber)
- Mi no mang broko (Director: Cyriel Guds, Producer: Guus Buijing, Interakt)
- Never and Always (Director: Nick Ceulemans, Producer: Nancy Shoesetter, Menuetto)
- Push (Director: Sven Spur, Producer: Brecht Van Elslande, Animal Tank)
- Simeon (Director: Camille Ghekiere, Producers: Mark Daems, Nina Payrhuber)
- Melville (Director: Romain Renard, Producers: Anne-Laure Guégan, Géraldine Sprimont)
- Afterglow (Director: Maxime Cotton, Producer: BRUITS Film)
- Spiegeltje (Director: Iris Hogedoorn, Producers: Charlotte Rietbergen & Jelle Kleinhesselink, Lavender Films)