MUSIC AND ANIMATION IN ITALY – Kids, Young Adult and Auteur Shorts: three ways of composing for images

A panel dedicated to the role of music in contemporary Italian animation, across different languages, audiences, and formats. From Kids content to Young Adult productions and auteur short films, the discussion explores how the approach to composition changes in the dialogue between sound and image, balancing narrative needs, rhythm, and stylistic identity.

Taking part in the panel are Alessandro Molinari, composer and conductor with over 200 film and television soundtracks, including iconic titles such as Il Commissario Rex and Blu Notte; Antonio Fresa, pianist, composer, and conductor known for his work across cinema, television, and internationally oriented cultural projects, including Cinderella the Cat and numerous Rai productions; and Pasquale Catalano, one of Italy’s leading composers for screen music, collaborator with directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Ferzan Özpetek, with acclaimed scores for films and series including The Consequences of Love, The Hand of God, and Inspector Ricciardi.

A conversation among three authoritative voices in Italian audiovisual composition, exploring how music for animation is created and transformed today.