| Programme of the 2025 WSA Film Music Days announced |
| Film Fest Gent announces the programme of the 2025 WSA Film Music Days, from 14 until 16 October 2025. Across three days of concerts, talks, panels and workshops, composers and industry professionals gather in Ghent to reflect on the art, craft and future of music for screen. Headlining the programme are Debbie Wiseman, Martin Phipps, Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch and the Composers Diversity Collective. |
| Talks, Masterclasses, and Workshops |
| The WSA Film Music Days offer a peek behind the scenes and open up unique opportunities to meet the faces behind the scores we all love. Guest of Honour Debbie Wiseman will share insights into her decades-long career, her collaborations, and her sources of inspiration. Belgian composers Justine Bourgeus, better known as Tsar B, Hannes De Maeyer, and filmmaker Hans Herbots will talk about their collaboration on the series This is not a murder mystery during a Creative Partnership Talk. Another major highlight is the talk Shifting Sounds: Electronic Waves in Minimalist Film Music, in which Martin Phipps and Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, and Cassandra Gurling (moderated by Sander De Keere) come to grips with the enduring legacy of minimalism and the growing importance of electronics, ambient music, and soundscapes. After a meet and greet with the talents shortlisted for this year’s World Soundtrack Awards, the nominees, including Volker Bertelmann, Andrew Wyatt, and Laetitia Pansanel-Garric, will sit down together for a round table conversation about their nominated scores. Complementing this, a series of workshops led by some of the nominees provides small groups of participants the chance to step into the studio and experience the creative-technical process behind their music. The full programme of these workshops will be announced on a later date. |
| Concerts & Galas |
| In the evenings, two world-class concerts showcase the very best the screen music industry has to offer. The 25th anniversary edition of the World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony & Concert will announce the winners of the prestigious awards, with Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of maestro Dirk Brossé performing music by Guests of Honour Debbie Wiseman and A.R. Rahman, alongside works by 2024 Film Composer and Discovery of the Year Jerskin Fendrix. The second evening concert, Minimalism in Motion: Glass, Nyman and Beyond, celebrates the pioneers of minimalist film music, Michael Nyman and Philip Glass, both of whom will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards. Their music will be performed alongside contemporary voices Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch and Martin Phipps, whose scores demonstrate how minimalism continues to thrive and evolve. |
| Re-imagining the industry |
| The WSA Film Music Days also serve as a platform to scrutinise and re-imagine how the screen music industry operates and how it faces current challenges. The Composers Diversity Collective will receive this year’s WSA Industry Award. The collective’s founder Michael Abels and co-presidents Amritha Vaz and Sandro Morales-Santoro will engage in a vital discussion on diversity and inclusion. By promoting education, mentorship and visibility for minoritized creatives in the industry, they advocate for reparative action and creative justice. During Jouw Muziek, Jouw Rechten (in Dutch), Sabam offers a practical workshop on how composers can make the most of their music and defend their rights, guiding them through the intricacies of copyright law and royalties. The panel Negotiating in the Dark: The Composer’s Contract addresses one of the most pressing issues for screen composers today: the growing practice of buy-outs and loss of publishing rights. With insights from Valerie Dobbelaere, Johan van der Voet, Harriet Moss and moderator Sarah Glennane, the discussion asks what is at stake for individual composers and the wider ecosystem of publishers, producers and streaming services. Finally, with the Third Character and Student Matchmaking projects and the Screen Music Professionals Round Table (a new initiative since this year), the WSA Film Music Days create opportunities for talented (aspiring) composers, producers, and directors to connect. Through one-on-one conversations, these initiatives foster new collaborations, spark new projects, and encourage participants to discover common creative ground. Tickets are available via worldsoundtrackawards.com. Professionals can experience the WSA Film Music Days to the fullest and get access to all the talks, masterclasses, and concerts with a WSA Industry Package. |
| Overview |
| Tuesday 14 October 10:00 – 13:00: Third Character 11:00 – 11:30: Welcoming kick-off WSA @FFG Café 13:30 – 14:30: Composer’s Talk: Hannes De Maeyer & Justine Bourgeus 14:45 – 15:45: Composer’s Talk: Debbie Wiseman 16:00 – 17:00: Diversity Fires Creative Collaboration: A Discussion with the Composers Diversity Collective’s founder Michael Abels and co-presidents Amritha Vaz and Sandro Morales-Santoro 19:00 – 20:30: Screen Music Professionals Round Table 20:30 – 23:00: WSA Nominees Celebration Reception Wednesday 15 October 10:00 – 12:00: Parallel workshops 12:30 – 13:30: Meet & Greet 14:00 – 17:00: WSA Nominees Round Table 20:00 – 23:00: WSA Ceremony & Concert Thursday 16 October 10:00 – 12:00: Parallel workshops 12:30 – 14:15: Student Matchmaking 14:30 – 15:30: Shifting Sounds: Electronic Waves in Minimalist Film Music with Martin Phipps, Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, and Cassandra Gurling. 15:45 – 17:00: Creators’ Talks – Negotiating in The Dark: The Composer’s Contract 20:00 – 21:30: Minimalism in Motion: Glass, Nyman and Beyond Check out the full programme here. |
