From 16-18 May, the Cannes Marché du Film will once again host Spot the Composer, a programme aimed at fostering collaboration between film composers and directors or producers. Launched in 2020 with the support of SACEM, the initiative offers a structured space for one-to-one meetings, case studies and master classes that encourage direct connections between composers and film professionals seeking original music for their projects.

Each year, ten composers are selected from around the world to participate. The 2025 edition includes talents from Belgium, France, the UK, Nigeria, Spain and Macau. What’s more, two Brazilian composers are joining the cohort in celebration of their home country being the Marché’s 2025 Country of Honour (see the news).

Among the participants is Mateus Alves, known for his ongoing collaboration with Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho on films such as Bacurau [+lire aussi :
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interview : Kleber Mendonça Filho, Jul…
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Also taking part is Olivier Arson, who has earned two Goya Awards for his work on Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Realm [+lire aussi :
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fiche film]. The UK is represented by Nainita Desai, who was awarded an Emmy for The Reason I Jump [+lire aussi :
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Nga Weng Chio, a composer from Macau, based in Los Angeles, enters the programme following acclaim for her work on the upcoming real-time strategy game Stormgate and the feature The Deserving, released on Apple TV. Nigerian composer Ré Olunuga, whose music spans experimental orchestral works and film, joins with a body of work noted for its textural and emotional detail. French composer Jean-Baptiste de Laubier, also known as Para One, brings a background rooted in both film and electronic music, with scores for Céline Sciamma’s films such as Water Lilies [+lire aussi :
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interview : Céline Sciamma
fiche film]. Joan Vilà from Spain rounds off the list – he is known for his work on the features Everyone Will Burn, You Are Not Me, Blue Rai [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] and more than 30 short films, with some among them multi-award-winning and Oscar-qualifying.

Spot the Composer continues to provide a structured environment within the wider Cannes Film Festival where composers and filmmakers can initiate long-term collaborations. By facilitating targeted meetings and knowledge exchange, the programme addresses the essential role of music in film development and production.

Here is the 2025 Spot the Composer selection:

Mateus Alves (Brazil)
Olivier Arson (France/Spain)
Arthur Decloedt (Brazil/Belgium)
Nainita Desai (UK)
Audrey Ismaël (France)
Delphine Malausséna (France)
Nga Weng Chio (Macau/USA)
Ré Olunuga (Nigeria/UK/USA)
Para One (France)
Joan Vilà (Spain)