BIFSC
Berlin International Film Scoring Competition
BIFSC offers emerging Film Composers the platform to showcase their work and compete to receive multiple Awards worth of over 3500 Euros, participate in Film Scoring Workshops and have their music recorded by a live ensemble, be invited in Film Festivals with VIP accreditation.
Berlin International Film Scoring Competition 2026
AWARD WINNERS
Owen Chan, China
First Prize Winner 2026
Owen Chan is a music producer and orchestrator currently completing his Master’s degree in Film Music Production at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. With a focus on orchestral and Chinese traditional music, he has contributed to the arrangement and production of numerous musical and song projects.
Find out more about Owen Chan:
Bilibili: https://space.bilibili.com/157574899
Xiaohongshu: https://xhslink.com/m/8Kbe5HLRxQf
Douyin (TikTok China Version): @OwenChan配乐学习笔记
Watch Owen's submission
Owen Chan, 1st Prize Winner of the Berlin International Film Scoring Competition 2026
Gao Guohang, China
Second Prize Winner 2026
Gao Guohang holds a Master's degree in Composition from the Department of Composition and Conducting at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music. He specializes in composing orchestral and chamber music and, since his graduation, has written music and arrangements for various video games and television series.
Find out more about Gao Guohang:
Watch Gao's Submission
Guohang Gao, 2nd Prize Winner of the Berlin International Film Scoring Competition 2026
Steven Stoffels, Netherlands
Third Prize Winner 2026
FSteven started playing the saxophone at the age of eight. Recognized early for his musical talent, he was invited at twelve to join a pre-conservatory program preparing students for the Conservatory of Maastricht. By that time, he had already begun composing music and quickly realized this was his true passion, even more than performing.
He went on to study Classical Composition at the Conservatory of Tilburg. During his studies, he was admitted to a minor in Film Scoring at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, graduating in 2020.
Steven was later accepted into the Master’s program at Berklee College of Music, specializing in scoring for film, television, and video games. This program allowed him to further develop his skills in instrumentation, orchestration, and recording. In July 2021, he graduated with special recognition for excellent academic performance.
Currently, Steven is working on numerous film and media projects, including scoring Magic Forest and Crossing Bunny Bridge, as well as contributing to the anthem for the Dutch National Soccer League.
Find out more about Steven Stoffels:
Watch Steven's submission
Steven Stoffels, 3rd Prize Winner of the Berlin International Film Scoring Competition 2026
Berlin International Film Scoring Competition 2026
FINALISTS
Titouan Lencou, France
Finalist 2026
Titouan Lencou is a French composer working across film, animation, video games, and documentaries. His scores have accompanied numerous animated short films that have been screened at international festivals.
His musical universe blends meticulous orchestration, both instrumental and electronic, with atmospheric soundscapes and singular melodic themes. With a focus on immersive storytelling, he pays close attention to timbre and texture to craft a bespoke sonic identity for every project, designed to elevate the narrative.
His work has been consistently recognized by the industry. He was a finalist in the film scoring competition Le Septième Son in Lyon, France (2022) and was nominated at the Valence International Screenwriters & Composers Festival (2025). Additionally, his work has been featured twice in live-to-picture concerts during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. First with an electronic performance in 2024, followed by an original orchestral score performed in 2025.
Titouan holds degrees from the Sorbonne University and the Annecy Conservatory in media composition. Titouan is now completing his MFA in Music Composition for the Screen at Columbia College Chicago. This world-renowned program allows him to refine his craft through the mentorship of leading industry professionals.
Find out more about Titouan Lencou:
Website link: https://titouanlencou.com/
Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/titouanlencou/
Ornella Salvador, France
Finalist 2026
Ornella Salvador is a french composer, pianist and author. Bridging classical music and storytelling, she performs extensively across France as a soloist and chamber musician ; composes for film, short formats, and multimedia projects – while also a fiction novelist, having published her first novel in 2020 in France, followed by two more volumes.
She studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (double master in piano and pedagogy) and at the Royal Academy of Music in London, with renowned musicians including among others Hortense Cartier-Bresson, Frank Braley, Erik Berchot and Diana Ketler. Laureate of the Steinway Young Talents competition, the Monique Rollin Prize (Fondation de France, 2019), and grants from the Fondation Meyer and Fonds Tarrazi, she is praised for her sensitivity and expressive interpretation. Alongside her performing and composing career, she teaches piano, chamber music and screen improvisation in several parisian conservatoires – while continuing to develop projects at the intersection of music, literature, and film.
Find out more about Ornella Salvador:
My website: https://www.ornellasalvador.com/
My instagram : https://www.instagram.com/ornella_salvador/
My soundcloud : https://on.soundcloud.com/Ew8d1Fo1QMSP4iycwC
Raphael Sautereau, France
Finalist 2026
I am a classical and jazz trained composer and multi-instrumentist based in Paris. Throughout my musical journey, I have worked as a performance artist, a piano and harmony teacher, and a composer/arranger for various musical styles, theatre plays and more recently for media. Some of my greatest influences are Yoko Kanno, Kevin Penkin, Ennio Morricone, Emile Mosseri, Ravel and Rachmaninoff. I enjoy being as versatile as I can be, ranging from composing orchestral works, to jazz big bands, or more electronic and ambiant-focused music and yearn to become a full-time media and film composer in the future.
Find out more about Raphael Sautereau: https://rsautereau.wixsite.com/raphaelworks
Charlie Seaborn, UK
Finalist 2026
Charlie is a London-based composer. His approach to scoring focuses on close attention to character, emotion and story. He is extremely versatile, working across all genres of film and with all styles of music. He began his career in 2018 writing additional music for Netflix’s documentary series Sunderland 'Til I Die and has since composed and delivered music on various projects, including Peacock TV’s documentary series Myth of the Zodiac Killer, Atomic Cover Up, for PBS, his most recent feature, No Es No, and numerous short films. His 2025 animated short, Death's Peak, was longlisted for the 2026 BAFTA Award for Best Animated Short. In 2023 he went to further develop his skills at the UK's National Film and Television School, and graduated in 2025.
Find out more about Charlie Seaborn: https://www.charlieseaborn.com/
Semin Son, South Korea
Finalist 2026
Semin Son is a composition major at Seoul National University, specializing in film scoring and orchestration.
His music focuses on emotional storytelling through orchestral and cinematic sound.
He is actively composing music for film and visual media.
He also explores a wide range of musical styles, including electronic music and band-based genres.
Find out more about Semi Son:
Website : sonzaii03.carrd.co
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@SonZaii03
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/son_zaii12/
Pietro Stiglio, Italy
Finalist 2026
He started playing instruments at 9 years old and since then he has played and composed for a lot of bands (Blues/Jazz/Rock /Metal), produced albums and singles for various artists (HipHop/RB/Pop), and studied classical music in high school. This background helped to develop his versatility. In 2021 he graduated with honors at one of the best schools of film scoring in Italy (Scuola Civica di Musica Claudio Abbado - Milano).
In 2023 he has done the soundtrack of three short films with a director from Rome, Margherita Ferrari. The last two shorts were screened at 80esima edizione del Film Festival di Venezia (Venice), Festa del Cinema (Rome), Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin "Berlinale", and nominated for the finals of the Student Academy Awards. He also participated in the creation of the soundtrack of the Amazon Prime TV Series "Monterossi".
During the 2024 he has reached the TOP 12 in one of the biggest film scoring contest in the world. This led him to do a masterclass where he worked with some of the best composers based in Hollywood: Christopher Young (composer of Spiderman 3), Pete Anthony (orchestrator of James Newton Howard and John Powell), Garry Schyman (composer of Bioshock), and others.
Later that year he got invited by Christopher Young, at his house in Los Angeles, after making a good impression on him during the masterclass. During the two weeks in LA, Pietro has been invited at the USC (University of Southern California), and at the Hollywood Scoring.
Find out more about Pietro Stiglio:
https://www.pietrosteelstiglio.com/
Theme Two (Xiangming Niu & Jamie Alpherts), China & Netherlands
Finalist 2026
Theme Two is an award-winning composer duo formed by Xiangming Niu and Jamie Alpherts, based in Amsterdam. They started collaborating in 2024, and have since been composing, producing, and arranging music for films and theatres together. Most recently, their work was awarded with an Honorable Mention for the European Talent Award at SoundTrack Cologne 2025.
In film, their recent work has received notable international recognition, including a nomination for Best Original Soundtrack at the 13th Shortcutz Amsterdam annual awards, Best Documentary Short at the Warsaw International Film Festival and the Junior Crew Pick Award at Cinekid. Their films have also been nominated at IDFA, Netherlands Film Festival, and Imagine Film Festival. Their work has been showcased in commercial and major cinemas, on national television broadcasts, and across streaming platforms such as MUBI, Prime Video, and NPO Start.
In theatre, they have written for major productions including Hamlet (Beijing People's Art Theatre), and Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus (Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre). Their music has also featured in performances by the Academy of Theatre and Dance (Amsterdam).
Master's graduates of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Xiangming and Jamie bring a shared foundation in classical composition and a deep interest in cross-cultural, cross-media storytelling. Drawing on a wide range of musical genres, their works bring an eclectic and authentic approach to contemporary media and the performing arts.
Find out more about Theme Two:
