The Cinematic Journal

09/10/2025

Last Saturday evening in Varaždin, the city’s Croatian National Theatre gleamed under a spotlight as the Crystal Pine Awards Gala, part of the 13th edition of the International Sound & Film Music Festival - ISFMF, celebrated exceptional achievements in film music, sound design, and cinematic artistry. The night brimmed with emotion, applause, and a shared passion for the creative forces that give life to stories through sound and score.

Awards were presented in a wide range of categories, including Best Trailer Music, Best Original Song, Best Music Video, Best Short, Best Original Score – Documentary, Best Original Score – Short, Best Picture, and Best Original Score – Feature. The ceremony also featured a special piano performance by acclaimed French composer and pianist Jean-Michel Bernard, adding a refined musical touch to the evening’s celebrations.

One of the night’s highest honours went to Bruno Coulais, celebrated composer of Les Choristes, Coraline, and Microcosmos, who received the ISFMF Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his profound influence and enduring contribution to world cinema through music.

Kathy Kelly, beloved member of The Kelly Family, graced the stage with stirring performances of “An Angel” and Puccini’s “Vissi d’arte” from Tosca. She was presented with the ISFMF Honorary Award for her remarkable career and artistic legacy.

The festival also honoured legendary sound engineer Chris Munro with a Lifetime Achievement Award, acknowledging his outstanding career shaping the soundscapes of modern cinema.

Benjamin Haycock received the Rising Star Award for his emerging voice and authentic storytelling through music. Following the presentation, he took to the stage to perform “Restlessness” and “Brother,” captivating the audience with his emotional honesty and distinctive style — a performance that perfectly embodied the spirit of the award.

04/10/2025

Last night, in a tribute to the prolific composer Lalo Schifrin, pianist and composer Jean Michel Bernard Pianist Composer drew a full house of music enthusiasts to the beautiful National Theatre of Croatia in Varaždin, in a concert that was part of this year's International Sound & Film Music Festival - ISFMF. He performed some of Schifrin's beloved film scores as well as several of his more challenging jazz works. Throughout the evening, the audience enjoyed music from Tango, The Cincinnati Kid, Dirty Harry, Les Félins, Mission: Impossible, among others, as well as Gillespiana and the third movement of his Jazz Piano Sonata.

Kimiko Ono-Bernard, the pianist's wife, provided vocals on three songs, including Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer’s Moon River.

A piano medley of John Williams’ music from E.T., Schindler’s List, and Harry Potter was a delightful surprise, along with music from Les Choristes by Bruno Coulais and the North by Northwest prelude by Bernard Herrmann. Mr Bernard closed the evening with Chopin’s Waltz No. 7.

01/10/2025

We talked with award-winning composer, director, and poet Elias Tadeus, whose beautiful score for The Man Without a Lifeline (Omul Fără Linia Vieții Film) earned him a nomination at this year's International Sound & Film Music Festival - ISFMF in Croatia.

Elias Tadeus is an award-winning film composer, record producer, and director whose work spans over 17 years of professional practice. A largely self-taught artist who began composing at age seven, Tadeus has built an impressive career that includes collaborations with Disney, numerous commercial pr...

15/07/2025

Directed by Nabil Ayouch, "Everybody Loves Touda" (2024) is a character-driven drama that follows a young singer named Touda (Nisrin Erradi), who dreams of becoming a Sheikha – a traditional Moroccan folk singer – and moving to Casablanca for greater recognition and a better life for her deaf-mute son.

The wonderful film was scored by Danish composer Flemming Nordkrog, who told us all about the thought process behind the music.

Directed by Nabil Ayouch, "Everybody Loves Touda" (2024) is a character-driven drama that follows a young singer named Touda (Nisrin Erradi), who dreams of becoming a Sheikha – a traditional Moroccan folk singer – and moving to Casablanca for greater recognition and a better life for her deaf-mu...

28/06/2025

A while back, we caught up with Paul Leonard-Morgan on some of the projects he's worked on in recent years, as well as his creative process and musical journey.

Paul Leonard-Morgan is a classically trained composer and pianist with a diverse work profile. He has composed music for films and the concert hall, written music for video games in multiple styles, including electronica, and produced songs and albums by groups such as No Doubt, Simple Minds, and Sn...

02/05/2025

We had a chat recently with Nainita Desai about her work on "Nautilus", "Secrets of the Penguins", as well as the soundtrack for the "Fiber Optic Symphonic Orchestra" titled "Tessellation". Read the full interview below.

Also, our team at The Cinematic Journal would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to Nainita for winning the ASCAP Composers' Choice Award for Video Game Score of the Year for "Tales of Kenzera: Zau" last night.

Nainita Desai is an award-winning composer for film, television, and video games. She has composed scores for acclaimed documentary feature films such as For Sama, The Reason I Jump, 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible, and The Deepest Breath, along with television drama series The Tower, Funny Woman, C...