BMI Hosts Music Panel at Woodstock Film Fest

BMI hosted a “Music for Film” panel October 13 at Utopia Studios in the Bearsville Theater Complex in Woodstock, NY. Moderated by BMI’s Doreen Ringer Ross, panelists included John Sebastian, David Torn, William Ross, Brett Morgan, and Bill Plympton. The panel was one of many events surrounding the annual Woodstock Film Festival, held in the Catskills in upstate New York, which presented a full line-up of 150 “fiercely independent” films, panels, concerts, parties and special events.

Pictured are (l-r, standing): composer Brett Morgan, composer/arranger William Ross, animator/cartoonist Bill Plympton, director Todd Kwait, and singer/songwriter John Sebastian; (seated) composer/ record producer David Torn, BMI’s Doreen Ringer Ross, and Woodstock Film Festival founder Meira Blaustien.

BMI’s Ringer Ross, who has been instrumental in creating a platform at film festivals for the independent film and creative music communities to interact in a positive and insightful forum, led the panel in a frank discussion about music in film and the ins and outs of film scoring, music supervision and licensing.

Every fall, film and music lovers from around the world gather at the Woodstock Film Festival for an exhilarating variety of films, first-class concerts, celebrity-led panels, workshops, a closing-night awards ceremony and parties.

BMI sponsors many music panels at film festivals and markets throughout the U.S. each year. These panels are designed to promote greater understanding within the filmmaking community about the aesthetic and business aspects of music in film as well as provide an opportunity for composers, songwriters and filmmakers to learn more about each other’s role. Since 2000, BMI’s music presence at the Woodstock Film Festival has consistently helped to forge new filmmaker-music industry relationships, which have proven to be mutually beneficial.