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European Market for Film Music
Composition - Third Character

For its 26th edition, Music & Cinema Marseille is once again setting up the European Market for Film Music Composition - Third character -  a professionnal project dedicated to European composers, directors and producers.

Third Character Market

As a reference to Federico Fellini, who used to call film music the “Third Character”, this project is an innovative market, unique in Europe, bringing together film production companies, film composers and directors around film music composition. It focuses on highlighting musical composition for image, a branch that is often absent from film cultural events by the industry. Among other things, it offers an economic dynamic for composers and contributes to their professional integration.

Created with the aim of helping musical creation, the European Market for Film Music Composition gives composers the opportunity to meet producers and directors who worked on a common project short, feature films or TV series, and are now looking for someone to write original scores.

This projects is organized around two calls for entries: the first one dedicated to composers and the second one to the producers and directors with a project under production.

After the selection, the producers and directors will submit their scenarios and musical intentions to 5 or 6 composers and point out the extract they want them to work on. The composers will then have three weeks to work on the extracts that they will present during individual interviews at the MCM. On this occasion, the producers and directors will evaluate the artistic qualities of the musical projects. From then on, it will be up to the composers to convince them to work and create together. The market offers two categories: one dedicated to French projects and composers, the other to European projects and composers (including France).

Selected Composers in 2025

Aïgui Alexeï, Ali Hassan, Allender Romain, Aloïs Benoit, Alonzo Gilles, Arabat Ralph, Ayala Raffalli Diego, Bailleux Noé, Balthazar Benjamin, Baret Sebastien, Baudino Célyne, Beaugas Lucas, Becq-Giraudon Maximilien, Bellanger Julien, Bentz Eric, Bergström Louis, Bernie Yinka, Bertok David, Boccadoro Andrea, Bonjour Clémentin, Bossé Juliette, Boulier Clement, Boutet Isaline, Browne Antonin, Caillon Florence, Carpentier Theo, Casassus Olivier, Cascio Théo, Catherine-Buffet Pierre, Charpentier Dominique, Charpy Pierre-Adrien, Charuel Clémentine, Chavy Adèle, Chenu Louis, Chevalier Lisa, Chibi Adrien, Church Zenia, Cohade Thibault, Cospen Bulle, Couineau Valentin, Coutigny Mirek, Danvin Christophe, Dao Thuy-Nhân, Dasso Jean, David Pierre, De Boysson Anne, De Galbert Marguerite, De Gheselle Ruben, Defradat Olivier, Del Pino Lozano Lolita, Delafosse Eliott, Delaygue Alexandre, Desrousseaux Foucauld, Dirven Marlene, Dolan Santiago, Dragt Sofia, Drossos Electra, Duclos Thibault, Dupont Benoit, Dupont Yannick, Farhang Alireza, Faubel Lucile, Floret Léonie, Foguenne Thomas, Førsund Olai, Foucault Jeanne-Peri, Fournier Benjamin, Fournot Elodie, Fransquet Simon, Ganem Laurent, Garcin Clément, Gasy Fara (Soa Meva), Girard Fabien, Glatard Antoine, Glineviciute Evelina, Glowinski Armand, Goodman Silas, Goudarzi Amin, Gourmeur Yves, Gramain Titouan, Grossmann Benjamin, Guigue-Rodet Benjamin, Hassell John, Haudiquet Alexandre, Hauk Tasja, Hermy Joris, Juillet Laurent, Kélalèche Emma, Kemp Dougal, Kiang Sonia,  Labourdette Florestan, Lacore Damien, Lagrave Baptiste, Laurens Rim, Le Bail Maxime, Le Hénaff Guillaume, Le Jean Benjamin, Le Lay Sören, Le Pape Erwan, Leloup Samuel, Lemaire Maxence, Leplay Emile Cooper, Liot Michael, Lutringer-Gully Emma, Maingaud Alexis, Maire Gaëtan, Malausséna Delphine, Manelphe Mélissa, Marchesseau Cyrille, Markarian Massis, Marot-Saferis Samuel, Marquant Anne-Sophie, Micaela Villavicencio Bravo Mara, Monot Matthieu, Montaigne Nicolas, Morcellet Edouard, Morel Alexis, Mormont Loup, Moussouni Théophile, Muller Benjamin, Murigneux Louise, Musy Clément, Oberkampf Pierre, Ojczenasz Andrzej, Osman Karol, Pajot Anaïs, Pansanel-Garric Laetitia, Papathanasiou Terzis Odysseas, Pape Moussa Diagne (Passa Beatz), Paulus Milo, Pecharman Alexis, Perek Théo, Perri Damiano, Peron-Dehghan Cyril, Piment Clément, Pirard Nelle, Pironneau Thomas, Pisano Elena, Polis Lionel, Pouzet Oprean Matei, Prager Isis, Pugin Louison, Queysanne Clement, Quimeby Alexandra, Ragot Eloi, Ramili Rindra, Rebeko Youri, Repellin Maxence, Ribis Jeanne, Riey Camille, Rigal Sylvain (CLAAP !), Rosselle Xavier,Roth Maïdi, Rotti Clara, Rousseau Irvin, Sacchetti Hugo, Saldjian Augustin, Sana Emil, Schneider Clovis, Séguy Nicolas, Smit Ralph, Steiner Maxime, Terrier Grégoire, Thérence Guillerme, Torzuoli Thibault, Trasente Massimo, Ujma Anka, Van Aerschot Julien, Viallet Louis, Vigan Cyril, Vysocky Jan, Wagner Yan, Walravens Thomas, Yazdanian Peyman, Yvert Théophile, Zante Romain, Zippel Max.

Selected Projects in 2025

Selected composers will receive their projects no later than two weeks before the Festival.

 FRENCH SHORT FILMS

  • Fall and Rise produced by Les Quatre Cent Films (Hanna Taïeb) and directed by Leïla Gaudin
  • Hachak produced by May Advisory Studio (Oumayma Zekri Ajarrai) and directed by Samantha Babboni
  • Invisible Crime produced by Methodic Studio (Thibaud Meyrand) and directed by Gabriele Victoire
  • Mâ produced by Voir le Jour (Laurent Breuil et Mickael Girault) and directed by Martin Geisler
  • Still Jennifer produced by Furyo Films (Adrien Barrouillet) and directed by Céline Perreard
  • Swipe produced by Origine Films (Olivier Berlemont) and directed by Carolina Gómez de Llarena
  • L’Évaporé produced by Yukunkun Productions (Stéphane Marchal) and directed by Rodolphe Bouquet-Populus
  • Toute toute première fois produced by Les Autres Films (Chantal Fischer) and directed by Gautier Blazewicz
  • Trappe-Trappe (ou la naissance d’une cheffe) produced by Les Créations Androgyne (Maud Pannetier) and directed by Leslie Carles
  • Somniloque produced by Offshore (Laura Lestrade) and directed by Thibault Bru
  • La Bête Rousse produced by Tripode Productions (Raphaëlle Simavonian) and directed by Agathe Savornin
  • Vilains Petits Moutons produced by Qui Vive ! (Jérémy Tapiero et Emmanuel Wahl) and directed by Satya Dusaugey
  • Du Cœur à l’Ouvrage produced by Paper Moon (Archibald Martin) and directed by Guillaume Darius Khodavesi
  • L’Oreille de la Mer produced by Qui Vive ! (Jérémy Tapiero) and directed by Laura Lambert
  • A l’ombre des vignes produced by Hippocampe Productions (Jordane Oudin) and directed by Yu Gu
  • Les Sangsues Dorées produced by PRISM Studio de Cinéma (Naël Zaiti-Ruelle) and directed by Nina Richard
  • Cherchez pas des places ?! produced by Entourage Films (Romuald Andrade et Philippe Bosse) and directed by Andréa Dautelle and Dimitri Mazzuchini
  • Coup de Collier produced by Nuits Bleues (Hugo Brunswick) and directed by Benoit Hamon
  • Célèstes produced by Duno Films (Jérémie Chevret) and directed by Mathieu Pheng
  • Cold Cuts produced by Les Sommets Imaginaires (Manon Troussier) and directed by Caroline Hallier
  • Tiandu Cheng produced by Tripode Productions (Delphine Schmit) and directed by Noémi Gruner
  • La bonne distance produced by Mood Films (Benjamin Bonnet) and directed by Melvin Nkosi
  • Un Phare dans la Nuit produced by Mood Films (Benjamin Bonnet) and directed by Arthur Balayn
  • La circonférence du cœur produced by To Be Continued (David Nivesse) and directed by Mathieu Barbet
  • Marlo produced by Le Hangar (Orféo Marin) and directed by Léo Pouliquen
  • Une Nuit à Bâle produced by Temps Forts Production (Jules Reinartz) and directed by Coline Confort
  • Une Belle Journée Ensoleillée produced by Armonia Productions (Damien Zoccola) and directed by Sarah Bariset

 INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS

  • De la nature des choses produced by Punchline Cinéma (Lucas Tothe et Jessica Arfuso) and directed by Jérémy Depuydt
  • The girl, the fluff, the cat and its butter produced by Animais AVPL (Vanessa Ventura) and directed by Patrícia Figueiredo (Prix Music & Cinema, BSFF 2024)
  • Brazil produced by Premijer Junior (Ivan Stepanovic) and directed by Danilo Stanimirovic
  • Hole produced by Inkubator Rezon (Nakola Spasic) and directed by Danilo Stanimirovic
  • Le Chant des Tribus Disparues produced by PRISM Studio de Cinéma (Titouan Le Gouis) et Alpha Tango (Amina Salem Castaing) and directed by Naël Zaiti-Ruelle

FRENCH FEATURE FILMS

  • Le Corbeau et les Air-Max produced by Tripode Productions (Guillaume Dreyfus) and directed by Anthony Lemaitre
  • Das Heim produced by Evidenec Film (Salah Issaad) and directed by Abdallah Khatib
  • Sans Contact produced by Yukunkun Productions (Nelson Ghrenassia) and directed by Thomas Soulignac
  • Les Variations de la vigilance produced by Les Films du Poisson (Inès Daïen Dasi) and directed by Simon Rieth
  • Le rêve manquant produced by Les Films de la Capitaine (Laurine Pelassy) et Nolita Cinema (Mathieu Ageron) and directed by Renaud Le Bas
  • Samir, espion malgré lui produced by Inter Spinas Films (Coralie Dias) and directed by Charlotte Rabate (Prix Music & Cinema, BRIFF 2024)
  • L’Episode Cevenol produced by Films Grand Huit (Lionel Massol) and directed by Elie Girard
  • Une de perdue, une de perdue produced by Films Grand Huit (Pauline Seigland) and directed by Mathilde Elu
  • Trompe-La-Mort produced by Rumble Fish Productions (Alexis Perrin) and directed by Rocco Labbé

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS

  • Dreaming Differences produced by Murmur Films (Nataša Jurčová Findrová) and directed by Kateřina Hroníková (Prix Music & Cinema, FEST 2024)
  • Shibboleth produced by Bark Like a Cat Film (Alexandra Matheou) and directed by Tonia Mishali (Music & Cinema, CinéMED 2024)
  • Les Monstres seront tous anéantis produced by Wise Up Productions (Lio Scailteur) and directed by Clotilde Colson
  • Memories of Autumn produced by Vertigo Ljubljana (Zala Opara) and directed by Tina Ščavničar
  • Consequences of Freedom produced by Tunnel Film (Florenc Papas) and directed by Lorin Terezi
  • A propos de Sousan produced by Helicotronc (Julie Esparbes) and directed by Marie Le Floc’h
  • Speak produced by Mésanges Films (Afef Ben Mahmoud) and directed by Nejib Kthiri
  • The Sun Sees Everything produced by Abbout Productions (Christien Eid) and directed by Wissam Tanios
  • Les Yeux de Verre produced by Productions Déjà Vu (Louis-Emmanuel Gagné-Brochu) and directed by Rafaël Beauchamp
  • La professeure produced by Meta Films (Rosalie Chicoine Perreault et Catherine Boily) and directed by Evangeline Kabuya
  • La mort ne m’aura pas vivant produced by Batoota Films (Nadine Naous) and directed by Katya Saleh
  • VIVA – La complexité du vivant produced by Films du Rapide-Blanc (Sylvie Krasker) and directed by Dominic Leclerc
  • The Salt of the South produced by Backstory Media (Julien Coquet) and directed by Ramy Jarboui
  • How sweet does the honey taste ? produced by Wooz Pictures (Jérémie Palanque) and directed by Ashkat Nauriyal
  • Nadine & Nadia, we also want to govern ! produced by Gazelle Prod (Ludovic Agbadja) et Winter Dreieck (Jil Adriana Winter) and directed by Évelyne Agli
  • La Barrière produced by Synergie Production (Ibtissem Abidi) and directed by Sarra Abidi

TV SERIES

  • Tulip produced by Avec Ou Sans Vous (Valentin Maupin) et Tchack (Matthieu Liégois) and directed by Julia Tudisco

If you missed the registration period, don’t miss your chance next year! Join us in October 2025 to submit your application and be part of the 27th edition.

Partners & Sponsors

Created in 2009 with the support of Sacem, the European Market for Film Music Composition – known as the 3rd Character program – has enabled numerous director-composer duos to form while benefiting from professional and financial support for their short and feature film projects, as well as series. In 2016, Sabam for Culture, the Belgian authors' society, joined the program's supporters by offering specific assistance to Belgian composers. For the 2025 edition, Buma will participate in the 3rd Character program for the first time, providing support to Dutch composers.

3rd Character Hors-Les-Murs

For nearly 10 years, the Festival International Music & Cinema Marseille has been exporting the concept of the "3rd Character" to other festivals and events abroad, aiming to establish a long-term itinerant market in partnership with international festivals, supported by authors’ societies or their export-oriented foundations/structures.

  • Film Fest Gent x World Soundtrack Awards (Belgium) | 2015 > Ongoing
  • MIFA Annecy (France) | 2021 > 2023
  • FIFF de Namur (Belgium) | 2015 > 2022
  • FNC Montréal (Canada) | 2018 & 2019
  • Jerusalem Film Festival | 2018 & 2019

The Off-Site Awards

The awards granted by the team of the Festival International Music & Cinema Marseille during partner festivals allow winning projects to participate in the European Market for Film Music Composition – 3rd Character Program in Marseille and meet composers through one-on-one sessions.

  • Music & Cinema Prize | Cinemed
  • Music & Cinema Award | European Short Pitch
  • Music & Cinema Award | BRIFF & BSFF
  • Music & Cinema Award | Fest - New Directors | New Films Festival

    Past Editions