THE ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN FILM COMPOSERS CAME TOGETHER FOR AN INTIMATE CELEBRATION OF FILM SCORING AT LONDON SOUNDTRACKING FESTIVAL

By Madeleine Anderson | Press Invite

The Alliance for Women Film Composers (AWFC) hosted a panel event celebrating the art of film scoring, bringing together four acclaimed female composers for a morning of conversation and live performance.

The event featured Hannah Peel, Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, Sofia Degli Alessandri, and Nigji Sanges, who all shared their creative processes and professional journeys into composition. Moderated by Gemma Dempsey, music supervisor and producer of Ramsgate Festival of Sound, the discussion offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at how music shapes storytelling on screen.

The composers reflected on the challenges and rewards of working in film, from navigating the industry as women to developing their own musical voices in a highly competitive field. Peel, known for scoring Scoop and Game of Thrones, spoke about crafting atmospheric soundscapes and the emotional resonance of her scores, while Levienaise-Farrouch, known for scoring All of Us Strangers, discussed how she uses both sound and silence to evoke different moods. Degli Alessandri, who discussed her 2024 work on The Prime Minister also goes by Drum and Lace, stressed the importance of working closely with directors, and Sanges shared her experiences experimenting with unconventional instrumentation on La Mort Viendra.

All of the panel shared how their time travelling and studying abroad had shaped their artistic identities, drawing on a wide range of cultural and musical influences which reflected their varied time in multiple countries across the globe. They each described how these experiences had fostered an independence and encouraged them to take creative risks, enriching their compositional approaches. The independence and self-belief of all the composers was clear, and stood out as a vital tool to remain steady and achieve success in what remains a male-dominated industry.

They each spoke of the importance of visibility, mentorship, and community in supporting emerging talent, especially for marginalised groups. The AWFC, an international organisation dedicated to advancing the careers of women and non-binary composers through advocacy, networking, and professional development, was highlighted as a crucial force in addressing gender imbalance in the industry.

Every segment of the panel was paired with a live performance by members of Her Ensemble, a string quartet that was founded by Ellie Consta in 2020 and is recognised as the UK’s first women and non-binary orchestra.

London Soundtrack Festival took place from 9 to 12 April.

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Photo Credit: Marieke Macklon