Film Agency News
12th August 2008
Oscar winner to perform at first Soundtrack film and music festival
Legendary composer Gabriel Yared will be performing extracts from his prolific reportoire of film soundtracks in a 2008 UK exclusive live performance at the Wales Millennium Centre on November 28 as a key part of SOUNDTRACK: The International Film and Music Festival for Wales - a celebration of the creative relationship between film and music being staged for the first time in Cardiff.
Yared, a regular collaborator with the late film maker Anthony Minghella on such films as Cold Mountain and the Oscar award winning score of The English Patient, will be playing a selection of music from his film soundtracks, including cult classic Betty Blue, accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra for Wales in the most ambitious and creative film and music festival ever staged in the UK. The festival programme also includes Gabriel hosting one of his rare master classes, and screenings of some of the films he has scored.
On his involvement, Gabriel Yared said; “I am delighted to be celebrating my music and former collaboration with the late and much loved Anthony Minghella at SOUNDTRACK. The opportunity to pay tribute to his memory with the BBC National Orchestra for Wales, at such a revered venue as the Wales Millennium Centre, is extremely appealing to me as a musician and composer.
"SOUNDTRACK has also given me an opportunity to lead a master class to explain my personal approach to writing music for film. It’s wonderful to be able to participate in this way, in what promises to be a really innovative and exciting festival."
SOUNDTRACK is supported by the Film Agency for Wales, and will feature film screenings, master classes, keynote speeches, workshops, and live music performances for a varied audience of musicians, film makers and fans in venues throughout the regenerated Cardiff Bay over November 26-29. SOUNDTRACK is being curated by filmmaker, author and broadcaster Mark Cousins, and also boasts an appearance by Danny Boyle, with a list of advocates that includes Terry Jones, Rhys Ifans, Ioan Grufudd, Jonathan Pryce, and James Dean Bradfield of the Manic Street Preachers.
Curator Mark Cousins said: "Getting Gabriel is a defining moment for the festival, as it’s all about that crucial creative relationship that film has with music, and few people in the world embody this more vividly than Gabriel Yared, famously of course through his work with the great Anthony Minghella. Gabriel’s performance will inspire and excite and put his own distinctive signature on the first year of what’s promising to be a great event."
Beginning his career in film music in France in the ‘80s, Lebanese born Yared has dedicated most of his time to composing original scores for movies, scoring over 70 soundtracks in the last four decades. Establishing his reputation with directors Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Jacques Annaud, and working with Robert Altman, a longstanding collaboration with British director Anthony Minghella earned Yared many of his critical accolades, including an Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy for his soundtrack for The English Patient. His soundtrack for the director's films The Talented Mr Ripley and Cold Mountain also secured Oscar nominations, with Cold Mountain winning Best Original Soundtrack at the 2004 World Soundtrack Awards.
In addition to his film work, Yared also composes ballets for Carolyn Carlson and Roland Petit. He is the founder and director of the Pléiade Academy, which welcomes and supports talented young composers in the production and promotion of their works.
The Gabriel Yared performance forms the second half of an evening that also features the BBC National Orchestra of Wales bringing classic scenes from the big screen to life through a performance of selected works from Beethoven, Wagner, Mozart and contemporary composers in celebration of the most dramatic and atmospheric use of the soundtrack throughout film history.
Chief Executive of the Film Agency for Wales, Pauline Burt added: “This is a real coup – such fantastic news that Gabriel will join us and help make the inaugural SOUNDTRACK festival the special, memorable and innovative event that we all aspire for it to be.
"We and the team at Push 4, led by Pablo Janczur and film curator, Mark Cousins, have worked hard to secure a programme that offers a real mix of internationally renowned guests, fun and informative events for the industry and wider audience, appealing to all ages, whilst also showcasing Welsh talent. Having composed evocative scores for some great movies, Gabriel will be a hot ticket."
Fiona Allan, Director of Arts and Audience Development at Wales Millennium Centre, said: "We are thrilled to be hosting the final performance of SOUNDTRACK Festival at the Centre. Gabriel Yared’s performance will be an undoubted highlight of the Festival programme, and we look forward to welcoming him to our stage. We also look forward to welcoming many of his UK fans to the Donald Gordon Theatre for this unique event."
Ticket and information are available by calling 08700 40 2000 or on www.soundtrackfilmfestival.com
For further information please contact Tim Powell on 07939 571 553 or or Lisa Jenkins on 0790 873 8763
Notes to Editors:
Film Agency for Wales
Established in July 2006, the Film Agency for Wales is the sole Agency for film in Wales, with a remit to ensure that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented in Wales, the UK and the world. As a strategic agency, the Film Agency aims to facilitate the emergence of a viable and sustainable Welsh film industry and to promote a vibrant and dynamic film culture.
The Film Agency for Wales is funded by the Arts Council of Wales, the UK Film Council and the Welsh Assembly Government, via Creative Business Wales, the latter of which was set up to support, encourage and increase the range and number of films being produced in Wales and to foster the abundance of creative talent in Wales.
The Agency's priority is to identify and nurture Welsh filmmaking talent – particularly writers, directors, writer-directors and producers – by supporting and encouraging the development of their work, accomplishments and ambitions. We support a broad policy on film education to complement our central priority of creating and maintaining a dynamic film culture across Wales. We aim to enhance film literacy for all and stimulate an appetite for specialised, cultural and non-mainstream films.
The Film Agency for Wales is funded by the Arts Council of Wales, the UK Film Council and the Welsh Assembly Government, via Creative Business Wales, the latter of which was set up to support, encourage and increase the range and number of films being produced in Wales and to foster the abundance of creative talent in Wales.
For further information please contact Lisa Jenkins on 0790 873 8763 or use our contact form.
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