WIFF’s 15th anniversary Night at the Oscars concert with the WSO

 

Organizers of the Windsor International Film Festival wanted to do something special for its 15 year

anniversary.

That something special was A Night at the Oscars: A WIFF Celebration concerts with the Windsor

Symphony Orchestra at the Capitol Theatre. The event was part of the WSO’s Toldo Pops series for their

2019-20 season.

Vincent Georgie, executive director and chief programmer of WIFF was the master of ceremonies

and Daniel Wiley, the WSO’s assistant conductor was the maestro for both performances.

“We are celebrating the combining elements of film and music,” said Wiley, who is also the conductor

of the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Windsor Symphony Community Orchestra. “Vincent

is sort of my guide, so I can stay on track.”

Georgie, a professor of marketing at the University of Windsor’s Odette School of Business and director

of the University’s School of Creative Arts, shared his encyclopedic knowledge of film with the orchestra

and audience.

“The students put together the film clips,” said Georgie, referring to the edited scenes from the

soundtracks of Academy Award-winning movies ranging from Gone with the Wind to The Godfather

Part II.

One notable Oscar-winner for Georgie is Slumdog Millionaire. According to Georgie, this movie

would not have been seen but thanks to the critical acclaim at film festivals, the movie got distributed.

“That’s why film festivals like WIFF are so important,” said Georgie.

Other movie scores in the concert included two who have won Oscars with two different movies. The

first was John Barry with Dances with Wolves and Out of Africa.

“This film really features the horn section which has been so instrumental in many films,” said Wiley.

“Can we give a round of applause for the horn section.”

The second was Maurice Jarre, who was a long-time composer for director David Lean, who made

Doctor Zhivago.

“Doctor Zhivago is his masterpiece,” said Georgie right before the WSO performed “Lara’s Theme.”

Wiley said he enjoyed about Lean’s next iconic film with Jarre’s musical score was the percussion

section having fun using eight timpanies (kettle drums) instead of four.

That iconic film was Lawrence of Arabia and Wiley said that should end A night at the Oscars with

something “truly epic.”

“A beautiful epic,” said Georgie.