Tension is mounting for nine young composers as the Grand Final of FilmScore 2016, the innovative competition run by Bath Film Festival, approaches. Over the last six months, students between 14 and 19 have been putting together music for short films selected by the Film Festival. On 24th March at Komedia, Bath, they will get a chance to see the films with their newly created soundtracks and to hear the thoughts of a panel of judges from the film industry.

This is the competition’s second year, during which it has extended its reach from the local Bath/Bristol area to the whole of the South West. The Festival is delighted that there are finalists from right across the region, from Wiltshire to Cornwall.

The young person whose score is deemed the best by the judges will receive a prize of £1,000. There is a second prize of £500 and a third of £250.

The judges on the night will be: Nainita Desai, one of the UK’s leading TV and Film composers. She’s scored hundreds of films for all the major broadcasters, including the BBC’s Mumbai High – The Musical. Nainita has won or been nominated for Oscars, Baftas, Emmys and RTS Awards, including for The Day Kennedy Died and Best Feature Score nominee for the recent The Confessions of Thomas Quick.

Alastair King, an orchestrator, conductor and composer in film and television in both the UK and Hollywood. His Film and TV projects include Downton Abbey, The Martian, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dad’s Army and Doctor Who. He has also had success as a concert composer including performances by the BBC Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra.

And finally, Mark Russell, who has scored 53 film and television productions, including Saving Grace, Cold Feet, Best Of Men and the adventure series, Leonardo. His credits also include Bee Movie, Walking With Dinosaurs and the recently completed soundtrack to Disney’s The Evermoor Chronicles. Mark has written an acclaimed book – Film Music and for seventeen years, presented BBC Radio 3’s eclectic show Mixing It.

The evening will be presented by BBC Points West’s Ali Vowles. Bath Film Festival is hoping to develop the project over the next five years. It has the capacity to be transformative for the young people who take part: it stretches their creative abilities, it can give their self-confidence a boost and it can provide a stepping stone to their future, not just composing music for cinema, but also television, computer games, documentaries and advertisements. A finalist from last year is being mentored by Oscar nominee and 2015 judge, Gary Yershon.

“FilmScore is a wonderful event to inspire and encourage the next generation of film composers. Any young person interested in music for film should enter and benefit from this unique and exciting experience,” said Debbie Wiseman MBE.

For further information, contact: Niki Jewett, FilmScore Coordinator on: [email protected] or 07982 445140.