1670, Forgotten Love and The Peasants – these are just a few of the titles that will fill the ICE Krakow Congress Centre with Slavic energy. During the International Gala: Iniduals we will hear compositions from such famous films as Napoleon, Promising Young Woman, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse or The Whale. A special event is planned to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Schindler's List and the 70th birthday of the Oscar-winning composer Elliot Goldenthal. The erse program of this year's Krakow Film Music Festival will be complemented by new interpretations of classic themes from Blade Runner, Interstellar and Star Wars.
Between May 22-26, Krakow's concert halls will be filled with the most beautiful music created for films, TV series and video games. The festival programme, organised by the City of Krakow, KBF and RMF Classic, includes both the hottest titles of the season and unforgettable classics. The finale of the eventful week will be Disney’s „The Lion King” in Concert at TAURON Arena Kraków. The full score for the 1994 animation will be played live in Europe for the first time, specially for the FMF fans.
30 years of Schindler's List and 70 years of Elliot Goldenthal
A particularly solemn moment of this year's FMF will be the Traces of Memory concert, which refers to the 30th anniversary of the Polish premiere of Schindler's List – Steven Spielberg's masterpiece with John Williams’ Oscar-winning music. We will also hear compositions by Krzysztof Penderecki, Antoni Komasa-Łazarkiewicz and the cult band Kroke, which has been exploring various musical areas for thirty years, especially the klezmer tradition. Second part of the concert will be dedicated to Elliot Goldenthal, an Oscar winner who will celebrate his 70th birthday at FMF. The event scheduled for May the 22nd is organised together not only with the Krakow Philharmonic, whose musicians guarantee excellent performance, but also the US Consulate in Krakow, celebrating its 50th anniversary.
“Schindler's List, shot in Krakow and awarded with seven Oscars and three Golden Globes, is one of the most moving films dealing with the subject of the Holocaust. John Williams' score, filled with themes originated in klezmer music, is also one of the most beautiful in the history of cinema. The solo parts will be performed by Agata Szymczewska – an award-winning Polish violinists. We will also hear Elliot Goldenthal's Third Symphony. The work refers to the era of martial law in Poland, when the communist dictatorship tried to stop the democratisation process. These are just two of the compositions that will make up a musically expressive concert, simultaneously carrying a pacifist message,” says Robert Piaskowski, FMF Artistic Director.
International iniduals and Slavic traditions
On May the 23rd, FMF invites you to the ICE Krakow Congress Centre for International Gala: Inidualsserving a unique opportunity to discover the works of outstanding composers of the middle generation. Daniel Pemberton, Martin Phipps, Rob Simonsen and Anthony Willis are already highly respected in the industry and have been nominated for prestigious awards. It's high time to amaze the FMF audience with their music, performed perfectly by Sinfonietta Cracovia. We will hear the monumental flute play from Darren Aronofsky's The Whale, and the disturbing themes from Saltburn and Promising Young Woman, royal sounds from Ridley Scott's award-winning Napoleon, and a moving song from The Trial of the Chicago 7. The dynamic score for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, full of electronic effects, will undoubtedly provide great emotions.
And what is the status of Polish creators of soundtracks for films, TV series and games? Their high craftsmanship and wide imagination will be proven during the Polish Gala: Modern Roots event, scheduled for May the 25th.
“Nowadays, one of the most important trends in Poland is the search for inspiration in Slavic folk music. That is why the programme includes a suite from The Peasants, which took cinema halls by storm, encouraging us to rediscover our rural roots. The soundtrack had a huge share in this success, appreciated by the jurors of such awards as Orły, O!Lśnienia and MocArty. The captivating music perfectly matches the carefully painted scenes from the film,” says Magdalena Wojewoda-Mleczko, Music Director of the RMF Classic radiostation.
The concert programme will also include a mesmerizing composition from the game Blacktail, for which Arkadiusz Reikowski received the Digital Dragons award, and Paweł Lucewicz's poetic soundtrack to the new version of Forgotten Love, which conquered Netflix. The ICE Krakow stage will feature, among others, the female trio SVAHY and the Polish-Ukrainian group Zazula. The suite from The Peasants will be performed by Łukasz “L.U.C.” Rostkowski, Rebel Babel Film Orchestra and the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra.
Surprising interpretations
The erse festival programme also includes electronic music. On May the 22nd, Kebu, a Finnish composer and performer known for his precision in creating complex soundscapes, invites us to the Kwadrat Club. During Synthesizer Legends he will present his own songs and 1980s gems, including themes from Top Gun, Terminator and Blade Runner. Thanks to an impressive set of dozens of analog synthesizers and drum machines, Kebu will give classic themes a unique sound.
On May the 24th, FMF invites the audience to the Krakow Philharmonic for the concert performed by a great pianist Aleksander Dębicz and the Polish Radio Choir. During Piano Chorale, themes from films such as Blade Runner, Edward Scissorhands and Interstellar will be heard in unique arrangements. On May the 26th, on the stage of the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, flutist Sara Andon, pianist Simone Pedroni and cellist Cecilia Tsan will present the John Williams for Three programme, dedicated to one of the most valued composers of our time. We will hear, among others, chamber pieces from Dracula, Hook, Memoirs of a Geisha, Schindler's List, Star Wars and The Witches of Eastwick.
FMF will also include the Audiovisual Forum – a series of meetings with experts from the music and film industries. Moreover, in cooperation with Galeria Kazimierz, FMF Strategic Partner, a Festival Village will be organised with a wide range of activities, including a silent disco and film screenings. The programme of accompanying events will be announced soon.
Source: press release
