The international film music competition.

In the international film music competition, composers score a selected short film for symphony orchestra. The three best compositions are chosen by a panel of experts and premiered at the festive "Cinema in Concert" gala. The winner is determined by the jury on the same evening and is awarded a Golden Eye.

Ein großes Orchester spielt auf der Bühne eines reich verzierten Konzertsaals mit sitzendem Publikum. Über den Musikern läuft ein Animationsfilm, der eine Zeichentrickfigur mit blauem Hut und Gewand zeigt.

As part of the 20th Zurich Film Festival (October 3 – 13, 2024), the 12th International Film Music Competition will be held in collaboration with the Forum Filmmusik and the Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich AG. 192 composers from all continents have submitted their own scores for the short film THE FLYING SAILOR by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby. The expert jury, chaired by the multiple Oscar winner Howard Shore, has selected the three finalists, whose compositions will be performed live by the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich on October 5.

The Finalists 2024

Krzysztof Dobosiewicz (Polen/Finnland)

Schwarzweißfoto eines bärtigen Mannes mit Ohrstöpseln, der nach oben blickt, einen Arm hebt und einen Taktstock schräg vor seinem Gesicht hält.

Krzysztof Dobosiewicz, born in Poland, has been nominated for the first time for the Golden Eye in the category "Best International Film Music." The Polish composer is known for effortlessly switching between various music genres such as classical concerts, film music, and jazz. Dobosiewicz has already won several awards for violin and compositions in Poland and Finland. Recently, he received an award at the Opera Composition Competition in Poland. He is also a member of the Society of Finnish Composers.

Ahmed Soroko (Kanada)

Ein Mann mit kurzen, dunklen Haaren und gestutztem Bart blickt in die Kamera. Er trägt ein dunkles Hemd und steht vor einem unscharfen, hellbraunen Hintergrund.

The Canadian Ahmed Soroko currently lives in Montreal, where he works as a composer and serves as the official pianist for the Orchestre à Vents de Musique de Film. He holds a postgraduate diploma in film music from UQAM. Soroko has studied at prestigious institutions such as the Conservatoire de Paris and McGill University. His works range from film music to electronic and pop music, and they have been showcased at various Canadian festivals and events, including the Festival Quartiers Danses, Bollywood Monster Mashup, and l’Art en Soi. This year, Soroko has been nominated for the Golden Eye for "Best International Film Music" for the first time.

Théo Schmitt (Switzerland / USA )

Ein Mann mit kurzen braunen Haaren und Bart, der eine beige Jacke über einem dunklen Hemd trägt, steht vor einem sanft beleuchteten Hintergrund. Das Licht ist auf der einen Seite seines Gesichts warm und auf der anderen kühl.

Théo Schmitt is a native Swiss 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 received commissions from the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lausanne, the Swiss Music Association, and the World Association for Symphonic Band and Ensemble (WASBE). Additionally, he was awarded at the 9th Swiss National Conducting Competition in Baden in 2009 and was nominated for the Marvin Hamlisch International Music Award. In 2024, he co-founded the Unprecedented Music Association (UMA) and currently serves as its Artistic Director.