Concert dedicated to the memory of Ronni Chasen

On Saturday, October 22nd at 8:00p.m., Oscar winners Elliot Goldenthal, Howard Shore, and Hans Zimmer will be the distinguished guests at the closing ceremony of the 38th Ghent Film Festival at the Kuipke in Ghent. Once again, the Kuipke Event Centre in Ghent will be transformed into a concert hall for an audience of more than 3000 for this 11th edition of the World Soundtrack Awards & Concert. Following the annual presentation of the prestigious film music awards, the Brussels Philharmonic – the Orchestra of Flanders - will perform a singular selection from the three great masters’ extensive oeuvres conducted by Dirk Brossé. As always, the live music will be accompanied by striking film footage. The concert is being dedicated in memory of Ronni Chasen, longtime representative and friend of the film festival.

The multifaceted Elliot Goldenthal has written music for dramas, science fiction & fantasy films, action thrillers and historic films, commissioned by illustrious names like Gus Van Sant (Drugstore Cowboy), David Fincher (Alien 3), Neil Jordan (Interview With The Vampire, Michael Collins), Joel Schumacher (Batman Forever, A Time To Kill, Batman & Robin), Michael Mann (Public Enemies, Heat, Miami Vice) and Julie Taymor (The Tempest, Titus, Across The Universe, Frida). In 2003 he won the ‘World Soundtrack Award For Best Original Film Score’, the ‘World Soundtrack Award For Best Composer Of The Year’ and his first Oscar for his work on the film Frida. Goldenthal is also the recipient of a Golden Globe Award for his score to Frida.

Howard Shore is a familiar face at the World Soundtrack Academy. In 2002, he won the ‘World Soundtrack Public Choice Award’ and the ‘World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Film Score of the Year’ with his music for Peter Jackson’s film of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. He also won Oscars for both this score and his music for The Return of the King. Shore has been a regular collaborator with director David Cronenberg, having composed the scores for 13 of his films including: The Brood (1979), Videodrome (1983), The Fly (1986), Dead Ringers (1988), Naked Lunch (1991), Crash (1996), Spider (2002) and Eastern Promises (2007). Among his other films are Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, The Aviator and Gangs of New York. Shore is the recipient of four Grammy and three Golden Globe Awards.

Hans Zimmer has written the music for more than 100 films. After initially working with composer Stanley Myers, he went solo in 1988 with A World Apart and then scored Barry Levinson’s Rain Man, for which he earned his first Oscar nomination. In 1995, he won the Academy Award for his score for The Lion King. His other Oscar nominations include Inception, Sherlock Holmes, Gladiator, As Good As It Gets, The Preacher’s Wife, The Thin Red Line and The Prince of Egypt. His projects include such diverse films as Driving Miss Daisy, Pearl Harbor, The Dark Knight, Rango, the Pirates of the Caribbean films and Kung Fu Panda 2. Zimmer has been honored with four Grammy Awards and two Golden Globes. In 2000, Zimmer performed his first live concert at the 27th Ghent Film Festival.

In keeping with tradition, the winner of last year’s World Soundtrack Discovery Award will take the stage during the awards ceremony. Abel Korzeniowski will perform his award-winning music from A Single Man, which also earned him the Public Choice Award in 2010. Moreover, he will give the audience a taste of his most recent music project for Madonna’s new film W.E.

What’s more, during the World Soundtrack Awards ceremony, the SABAM Award For Best Young European Composer will once again be conferred. This award was created by the World Soundtrack Academy and includes a 2,500 euro cash prize and the live performance of the winning composition by the Brussels Philharmonic. Candidates should be of European nationality (or live in Europe) and be younger than 36. They are required to compose music for the short film Papillon d’Amour by Belgian filmmaker Nicolas Provost.

The World Soundtrack Awards & Concert will take place on Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 8:00p.m. at the Kuipke in Ghent. The concert will be performed by the Brussels Philharmonic – the Orchestra of Flanders conducted by Dirk Brossé and will be accompanied by film footage on a big screen.

Tickets for the World Soundtrack Awards cost €25, €35 or €45 and will be on sale at www.filmfestival.be, in all fnac shops and at www.fnac.be (tel.: 0900 00 600).

press contact: Tom Heirbaut at +32 9 242 80 79 or via e-mail at fpress@filmfestival.be.