Film Music Reporter

Riz Ortolani has been selected as the 13th recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the the closing-night gala of the World Soundtrack Awards at the Ghent Film Fest on October 19, 2013. The Italian composer is best known for his scores to numerous spaghetti westerns and international films including the 1980 horror film Hannibal Holocaust and the British drama The 7th Dawn. Ortolani received a Grammy and an Academy Award nomination for the song More from the 1962 documentary Mondo Cane and was honored with another Oscar nomination for writing the title song for the 1970 western Madron. His music was recently featured in several films directed by Quentin Tarantino, including Django Unchained and Inglorious Basterds. Among the composer that were previously honored with the Ghent Lifetime Achievement Award are John Barry, Marvin Hamlisch, Giorgio Moroder, Pino Donaggio and Angelo Badalamenti. In addition, the music of Alexandre Desplat will also be celebrated at the 13th World Soundtrack Awards gala. The composer whose credits include Argo, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The King’s Speech and The Queen was honored as the Film Composer of the Year four times within the past six years at the festival. Both Ortolani’s and Desplat’s music will be performed at the awards ceremony.