Semin Son

Golden Eye — Best International Film Music 2026

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Photo: Marco Vara for Zurich Film Festival 1 / 5

The 14th International Film Music Competition takes place during the 22nd Zurich Film Festival (24 September – 4 October 2026). Participants were invited to score the nine-minute short film The Shyness of Trees — by Sofiia Chuikovska, Loïck Du Plessis D'Argentré, Lina Han, Simin He, Jiaxin Huang, Maud Le Bras and Bingqing Shu — for symphony orchestra.

Finalists

• Carl Falkenau Sweden
• Semin Son South KoreaWinner
• Brendan Galvin New Zealand

From 146 entries submitted from 36 countries, an international jury presided by Academy Award–winning composer Gabriel Yared selected three finalists, and on the night of the concert named Semin Son the winner.

“It strikes exactly the right poetic note for the images.”

The jury praised the score's deep understanding of the film's story — a daughter and a mother, loss and comfort — singling out its colourful, creative instrumentation and the way the mother's song was developed into the musical theme.

Gabriel Yared · Jury President