11TH INTERNATIONAL
FILM MUSIC COMPETITION 2023:
AND THE WINNER IS … ELLIOT MURPHY!

The Irish composer Elliot Murphy is the winner of the 11th International Film Music Competition 2023, which took place at Tonhalle Zurich on 30 September 2023 during the 19th Zurich Film Festival. Murphy received the Golden Eye “Best International Film Music 2023“ endowed with a 10 000 Swiss franc cash prize.

Photo: Gaëtan Bally

The award ceremony took place during a film music concert.Under the baton of Frank Strobel, Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra world-premiered the compositions of the three finalists and performed pieces by jury president Volker Bertelmann. During the same evening the German film composer recieved the ZFF’s Career Achievement Award. Sandra Studer took the audience through the evening.

The three finalists were

Carl Falkenau
(Sweden)

Cian McCarthy
(Ireland/USA)

Elliot Murphy
(Ireland/Germany)

The shortlisted three were chosen in a first round by an international expert jury (see below) out of 153 participants from 33 countries. Entrants were asked to write a symphony orchestra score for the 7‑minute short film AU REVOIR JÉRÔME! by Chloé Farr, Gabrielle Selnet und Adam Sillard for symphony orchestra. The submission deadline was on 2 June 2023.

The members of the jury were:

President of the jury:
Volker Bertelmann, film composer
Photo: Carsten Sander

Mark Bächle, film composer
Photo: Simone Silverman

Sophie Linnenbaum, film director and writer
Photo: Jonas Ludwig Walter

Gabrielle Selnet, co-director of the competition film AU REVOIR JÉRÔME!

Frank Strobel, conductor of the award concert
Photo: Kai Bienert