Aleksandra Rastovic Wins Dallas Chamber Symphony's Second Annual Sight of Sound Film Competition

International film competition featured new visual works set to classical music with Symphony performing live-to-film. Silvia Lara wins Audience Choice Award at April 28th season finale.

The Dallas Chamber Symphony is pleased to announce that UCLA Student Aleksandra Rastovic has received the Best Picture Award at its Second Annual Sight of Sound International Film Competition. Earlier in the year, the Dallas Chamber Symphony called on all types of filmmakers from around the world to create new, short, silent films for selections of classical music. For the DCS’s season finale on Tuesday, April 28, finalist films were screened as the Symphony performed the finalists’ works live-to-film. Rastovic’s film, “The Fatales,” was chosen by a jury panel to be the grand prize winner.

After the screenings, audience members were asked during intermission to text a vote for their favorite film. Silvia Lara’s film, “Impetus,” received that Audience Choice award.

"We received a significant increase in film submissions from all over the world. This uptick is due to growing enthusiasm for Sight of Sound at important studios and major U.S. film schools."

Richard McKay, Aristic Director, Dallas Chamber Symphony

According to Dallas Chamber Symphony Artistic Director and Conductor Richard McKay, Sight of Sound is an extraordinary project, has been growing rapidly and attracting attention nationally. “We are so excited about how much this event has grown in just one year. We received nearly 50 submissions from local, national and international filmmakers – a significant increase from last year. This increase is due to growing enthusiasm for the project atimportant studios and major U.S. film schools.” In fact, both Rastovic and Lara are students at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television.

The Dallas Chamber Symphony has become renowned in the area for its innovative concerts which pair classic silent movies to newly commissioned musical scores.  Sight of Sound – which explores the opposite of this creative cinematic process – is an innovative expansion of this theme.  Sight of Sound is the first and only film competition of its kind in the world – pairing new, silent films to existing works of classical music. Sight of Sound was presented in partnership with the Video Association of Dallas.

For more information about the Sight of Sound International Film Competition, or to watch the winning films, visit sightofsound.org

ABOUT DALLAS CHAMBER SYMPHONY

Named Best of Big D 2014 by D Magazine, and Best Classical Music Addition 2013 by the Dallas Observer, the Dallas Chamber Symphony is one of the most exciting and innovative professional performance ensembles in North Texas. Led by Artistic Director and Conductor Richard McKay, it is comprised of 40 musicians, all dedicated to performing a balance of programs that include underrepresented and standard chamber repertory, contemporary music, staged works, and pieces with extra-musical elements, such as film, actors and dance.

The DCS performs at the gorgeous new City Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District, and provides educational and community programming, including an annual International Piano Competition at SMU, field-trip concerts for area youth, and Sight of Sound, an annual International Film Competition. For more information, visit dcsymphony.org