Composer Ching-Shan Chang impressed the jury over 321 composers from 46 countries to win the Golden Eye for ‘Best International Film Music 2019’  at the 8th International Music Film Competition.

“The composer Ching-Shan Chang not only discovered her very own and highly unique voice for this story, she also understood the humor and irony,” said the jury about their decision.

Taiwan-born Chang is currently completing her master’s degree at New York University (NYU), where she also teaches piano as an assistant professor.

321 composers from 46 countries took part in this year’s Film Music Competition. The jury, presided over by US film composer Don Davis who scored the Matrix trilogy and Jurassic Park 3, chose five nominees to enter the final. In addition to the winning composition by Ching-Shan Chang, soundtracks from Switzerland, Sweden, Russia and Great Britain were also nominated for the final.     

The five nominated compositions were premiered by an orchestra under the baton of Frank Strobel during a Film Music Concert at the Tonhalle Maag in Zurich. Entrants were asked to score Robert Rugan’s short film DANNY AND THE WILD BUNCH for symphony orchestra. In addition to Don Davis, the jury included Robert Rugan, the German director Frank Strobel, the swiss director Andrea Štaka, and the Swiss film music composer Adrian Frutiger.  

The evening was rounded off by a Film Music Concert entitled ‘Beyond the Matrix’. 

The International Film Music Competition was organized by the Zurich Film Festival and the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich in collaboration with the Forum Filmmusik.