21. August 2024

The International Film Music Competition

At the International Film Music Competition, composers set a selected short film to music for symphony orchestra. An expert jury selects the three best compositions that will be performed at the festive ‘Cinema in Concert’ gala by the Tonhalle Orchestra. The winner will be chosen by the jury that same night, and they will be awarded a Golden Eye.

The 20th Zurich Film Festival (October 3–13) will host the 12th International Film Music Competition in collaboration with the Forum Filmmuisk and the Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich AG. 192 composers from all continents have submitted their original scores for the short film THE FLYING SAILOR by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby. The expert jury, chaired by multiple Academy Award winner Howard Shore, has chosen the three finalists, whose compositions will be performed live by the Tonhalle Orchestra on October 5.

The Finalists 2024

Krzysztof Dobosiewicz (Poland/Finland)

Polish-born Krzystzof Dobosiewicz is nominated for the Golden Eye in the ‘Best International Film Music’ category for the first time. The Polish composer is known for his ability to switch between different musical genres such as classical concerts, film music and jazz effortlessly. Dobosiewicz has already won several prizes for violin or compositions in Poland and Finland. Recently, he was awarded the first prize at the Opera Composition Competition in Poland. He is also a member of the Society of Finnish Composers.

Ahmed Soroko (Canada)

The Canadian Ahmed Soroko currently lives in Montreal, where he works as a composer and plays as the official pianist for the Orchestre à Vents de Musique de Film. He holds a postgraduate degree in Film Scoring from UQAM. Soroko has studied at presitigious institutions such as the Conservatoire de Paris and McGill University. His work ranges from film music to electronic and pop music. His compositions have already been presented at various Canadian festivals and shows such as the Festival Quartiers Danses, Bollywood Monster Mashup, and l'Art en Soi. Soroko is nominated for the Golden Eye ‘Best International Film Music’ for the first time this year.

Théo Schmitt (Switzerland/USA)

ifmc_2024_theo_schmitt_quadratisch.1037x0-is.jpg Théo Schmitt is a swiss native who currently lives in Los Angeles. He studied at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne (HEMU), the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC). Schmitt has already been commissioned to work for the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lausanne, the Swiss Music Association and the World Association for Symphonic Band and Ensemble (WASBE). Furthermore, he was honoured at the 9th Swiss National Conducting Competition in Baden in 2009 and nominated for the Marvin Hamlisch International Music Award. In 2024, he co-founded the Unprecedented Music Assosciation (UMA) and he now serves as its Artistic Director.

The Jury

Jury President: Howard Shore, Film Music Composer

ifmc_2024_howard_shore_quadratisch.1037x0-is.jpg Photo: E. Bealovega

Rachel Braunschweig, Actress

Phto: Lara Raselli

Nicolas Rabaeus, Film Music Composer

ifmc_2024_nicolas_rabaeus_quadratisch.1037x0-is.jpg Photo: Rebecca Bowring

Frank Strobel, Conductor of the Concert

Photo: Kai Bienert

«Cinema in Concert» gala

Grose Tonhalle Zurich, October 5, 2024, 20:00h

Prices: CHF 110 / 90 / 70 / 50 / 30, Tickets are available here