7 minute read
The crowd pleaser
IN FOCUS WORLD SOUNDTRACK AWARDS 2021
The World Soundtrack Awards returns as a physical event after last year’s online edition, complemented by a standout industry programme. Geo rey Macnab reports
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his year’s World T Soundtrack Awards (WSA, October 23) will be a full physical event with all the trimmings, a er the 2020 awards — which marked the event’s 20th anniversary — were pushed online by the Covid-19 pandemic. at means conductor Dirk Brossé and the musicians of the Brussels Philharmonic will again be performing to packed houses. Tickets for the closing ceremony and and producers with composers. concert sold out quickly, under- is year sees a session focused on lining the huge public interest in scoring for video games, marking the awards. the rst step towards the possible
“ e audience is very eager to introduction of an awards category come [back],” says Wim De Witte, for video games. “ at has been a programme director of Film Fest topic at board meetings,” observes Ghent, the banner under which De Witte. the WSA takes place, and a stalwart who has been working for and championing the festival for more than 20 years. “Last year was a bit frustrating. We were very lucky frustrating. We were very lucky we were able to do the festival and we were able to do the festival and that the lm screenings could go that the lm screenings could go ahead as planned — but, of course, ahead as planned — but, of course, everything that was planned for the everything that was planned for the music…” His voice tails o as he music…” His voice tails o as he recalls how all the “live” concerts recalls how all the “live” concerts and events had to be scrapped and and events had to be scrapped and moved online.
Alongside the lm music fans, Alongside the lm music fans, professionals will be back to attend professionals will be back to attend the WSA Industry Days networkthe WSA Industry Days networking event (October 20-23), which ing event (October 20-23), which has been extended by a day. Among has been extended by a day. Among its strands is the ird Character its strands is the ird Character initiative, connecting directors initiative, connecting directors a retrospective dedicated to Greek lmmaker eo Angelopoulos, the Palme d’Or winner who directed many of Angelopoulos’s lms. She receives a lifetime achievement award, and will participate in a concert titled Great Greek
Composers.
Film Fest Ghent general director Marijke Vandebuerie sees the focus on Greece as a perfect example of the festival and the awards working in tandem, using the lm programming to boost the music events and
Wim De Witte, Film Fest Ghent
Greek chorus
Greek creatives will play a key role in Ghent this year. e festival — which runs October 12-23 — has a retrospective dedicated to Greek lmmaker eo Angelopoulos, the Palme d’Or winner who directed arthouse epics including Eternity And A Day and Ulysses’ Gaze.
Alongside these screenings, the WSA pays special tribute to Greek composer Eleni Karaindrou (see interview, page eight), who scored many of Angelopoulos’s lms. She receives a lifetime achievement award, and will participate in a concert titled Great Greek
Composers.
Film Fest Ghent general director Marijke Vandebuerie sees the focus on Greece as a perfect example of the festival and the awards working in tandem, using the lm programming to boost the music events and
(Right) Film Fest Ghent stages a retrospective stages a retrospective dedicated to Greek dedicated to Greek fi lmmaker Theo fi lmmaker Theo Angelopoulos Angelopoulos vice versa. “ is is what we really aim for with the festival,” she says. “We want to bring both worlds into one.”
Also a guest of honour this year is Germany-born, UK-based composer Max Richter, who has scored lms including Waltz With Bashir and Mary Queen Of Scots. Selections from his scores will be performed by Brossé and the Brussels Philharmonic.
“His name had been on the list for quite some years,” De Witte says of Richter. “He has a magni cent body of work, both in lm music and non- lm music.”
“He can bring a new audience to the awards,” Vandebuerie adds of Richter, who has a strong following beyond the lm world. e same can be said of Bryce
Johannes De Bruycker/Film Fest Ghent
The World Soundtrack Awards will close out Film Fest Ghent — tickets for the live event sold out quickly
Marijke Vandebuerie, Film Fest Ghent
Dessner — last year’s discovery of the year award winner — whose music will also be played at a concert on October 23 (see boxout).
A new approach
As a matter of necessity, during the pandemic the WSA world competition was opened up to titles that had premiered online. at remains the case this year, but it is unclear whether this will be a permanent xture. Opinions are divided, but Vandebuerie suggests the event will take its lead from the composers and what they feel works best.
In the meantime, key changes have already been made to the awards. Scores for feature-length documentary lms can now compete for lm composer of the year, best original song, discovery of the year and the public choice award. One of the nominees for lm composer of the year is Nainita Desai, who is described as “a trailblazer” in the world of documentary music composition (see interview, page 10). Her scores range from For Sama to Kevin Macdonald’s Covid-19 documentary e Year at Changed Britain and autism doc e Reason I Jump.
Indeed, organisers monitor all changes in the sector, and pay close attention to gender equality and diversity. It remains the case that lm composing is still an area dominated by men but Vandebuerie speaks of an “evolution of young women entering the sector”.
As part of its e orts to help young talent, the WSA runs the InMICS Composers Lab alongside sister events Festival International du Film d’Aubagne and Krakow Film Music Festival. Students have the chance to participate in master classes and workshops with some of the top names in the lm music world, and are also provided with excellent networking opportunities.
Meanwhile, there are opportunities aplenty for the WSA to evolve in years to come. With both the festival and WSA attracting lm lovers and lm music a cionados, the events are continually working in tandem to satisfy all audiences.
“ ere is an overlap between the lm and the music programming but there is de nitely also a big di erence,” De Witte re ects. “We have these concerts which are more experimental and [lean towards] pop-rock in a programme called Videodroom. ere we notice an opening up of our programme to another audience.” ■ s SPOTLIGHT BRYCE DESSNER
Bryce Dessner
A bigger vision
WSA discovery of the year 2020 and The National rocker Bryce Dessner tells Geoffrey Macnab why he fi nds the world of fi lm music so exciting
B
ryce Dessner may have been last year’s WSA discovery of the year, but the Paris-based American is far from a newcomer. He has a formidable body of work as a member of rock band The National and a composer who has collaborated with the likes of Philip Glass, Steve Reich and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
“I have long been aware of the World Soundtrack Awards. It felt quite special to be acknowledged by my peers,” Dessner says of his award. And, no, he was not offended to be labelled a ‘discovery’ in spite of his achievements in both the rock and classical worlds. “I understand that within the fi lm community, my name might be less known next to an Alexandre Desplat, a Howard Shore or a Carter Burwell,” he says. “I was happy to be recognised. For years, I was playing in the band [but] I’ve been a classical musician my whole life. I do have a very active concert career, working with major orchestras.”
Dessner credits Inarritu, who asked him to work on The Revenant, with helping him take his “fi rst big step” into fi lm music. Dessner believes cinema has “become what opera was in the 19th century. It’s the big collaborative art. It’s exciting to work in a big team, contributing to a bigger vision.”
Some of Dessner’s fi lm music is playing in the closing concert in Ghent, including pieces from The Two Popes and The Revenant and his latest fi lm Cyrano. “I actually have the premiere of a major violin concerto with the San Francisco Symphony two days before… but if I can be there [in Ghent], I will be,” he says.
