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| Z For Zachariah |
The list of films eligible for Best Original Score at the Oscars, which was released earlier today, has shone a light on the struggle faced by female composers trying to build careers in the film industry. Of the 112 films deemed eligible for the award, just two are scored by women: The Hunting Ground (Miriam Cutler) and Z For Zachariah (Heather McIntosh).
The list has emerged just three months after the The Alliance for Women Film Composers launched an online directory aimed at making women's compositions more visible to producers and the public. It reflects a problem that is far less prominent in the television and theatre industries, where female talent has been on the rise.
To join the list, a score must be "a substantial body of music that serves as original dramatic underscoring and must be written specifically for the motion picture by the submitting composer. Scores diluted by the use of tracked themes or other preexisting music, diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs, or assembled from the music of more than one composer shall not be eligible."
The nominations for this year's Oscars will be announced on January 14.
