FINIKIA Music Competition 2025
Call for Professional Composers

A national platform dedicated to discovering, supporting, and promoting Lebanese experienced composers. 

Eligibility

The competition is now open to Lebanese professional composers, music producers and scoring artists.

 

Whether you composed for film, media, stage, artists, or independent projects, this is your opportunity to bring ancient history to life and leave an indelible mark on the FINIKIA motion picture soundtrack. 

About the Competition

Composers are invited to compose original pieces inspired by selected scenes from FINIKIA.

 

These scenes encompass epic sea voyages, intimate moments, rituals, conflict, and the daily life of the Phoenicians.

 

Your music could be featured in:

  • The FINIKIA Film soundtrack 
  • Promotional trailers and campaign materials 
  • The official film website and digital platforms 
  • The FINIKIA Sound Gallery

The competition concludes with a live event on December 14, 2025, at Bechara El Rahi Theatre (NDU), where the top finalists will present one of their compositions live before the jury.

1- Timeline

Phase 1: Application Period (November 24 to December 7)

  • Submit up to four (4) original compositions based on selected scenes provided below.
  • Tracks must be recorded, mixed, and presented at professional quality (studio or home studio).
  • Applications officially close on December 7.

Phase 2: Jury Selection (December 7 to December 10)

The FINIKIA jury and music team will select finalists based on: 
     1. Musical language & thematic strength 
     2. Orchestration & sound design 
     3. Originality 
     4. Narrative relevance to the selected scene 
     5. Emotional and cinematic impact

 

Only one track per composer will be selected for the final event.

Phase 3: Live Event (December 14)

Finalists will perform their selected track live at Bechara El Rahi Theatre, before an audience and professional jury. 
Finalists must play at least one instrument live (with the remaining arrangement played back as accompaniment).
The Winner will be announced during the event.
 

Prizes & Professional Opportunity

DIAMOND AWARD

  • An invitation to join the FINIKIA film’s music team in Shepperton Studios (UK), working under a seasoned Hollywood composer’s artistic direction.
  • Compensation will be provided in accordance with the FINIKIA budget and will cover all work completed throughout the entire post-production period.
  • Official credit in the FINIKIA film for all contributions.
     

 

Composition Guidelines

  • Theme: Ancient Phoenicia (ca. 500 BCE) 
  • Interpretation: Fully open. Innovations in sound design, hybrid scoring, and original instrument creation are highly encouraged. 
  • Instrumentation: Any relevant instruments such as orchestral, hand-made, or natural objects (wood, stones, seashells, etc.)
  • Track Duration: Maximum 2 minutes 
  • Submission Limit: 1 to 4 tracks 
  • Scene Alignment: Each track must correspond to one scene 
  • Naming Convention: Composer Name + Scene Title
  • Stems: Required from selected finalists for technical preparation
  • Performance: At least one instrument must be played live during the event

Scenes For Scoring

Choose up to four (4) scenes among the eighteen cinematic excerpts provided below. Each excerpt illustrates a moment from the FINIKIA film to help inspire your musical direction.

Musical Competition Scenes

1- A Harbour in Harmony
the bustling harbour of Tyre at dawn. Merchants haggle over exotic wares—glass beads shimmering in the morning sun, bolts of embroidered linen, amphorae of rare olive oil—while the cries of sailors mingle with the haunting melodies of lyres.

 

2- Rythm of The Docks
LONG LENS – We pick out SAILORS, their skin darkened by the sun, shouting instructions from ship to ship as they haul ropes and adjust cargo. Nearby, DOCKWORKERS grunt and strain, heaving urns of olive oil and baskets piled high with pomegranates onto creaking wagons.

 

3- Serenade Beneath the Stars
For a brief, breathless moment as the words faded, Aziru reached for Sophira’s hand, drawing her gently into his embrace. Their foreheads touched, and the world seemed to still; she felt the steady thrum of his heart echoing her own. In the hush beneath the stars, his arms wrapped around her offered not just warmth, but a silent promise.

 

4- Spooky Night Garden 
But just as Sophira closed her fingers around the cedar leaf, a sharp crack echoed from the far side of the garden wall—a heavy branch snapping, or perhaps a footfall too deliberate to be the wind. Instinctively, they froze, hearts racing.

 

5- Unveiled Opulence
Inside, the grandeur of the Haddar home was immediately apparent. Sunlight streamed through stained glass windows, scattering vibrant colours across marble floors that gleamed beneath intricate chandeliers. Every surface was adorned with lavish tapestries and gilded furnishings, each piece a testament to their wealth and taste.

 

6- The Gathering Storm
Suddenly, the camera tilts up as the sky darkens, the golden light smothered by the looming stormfront. Thunder rumbles, distant but approaching.

 

7- Unsettled Peace
The camera slips beneath the waves—an uneasy stillness settles. Fish dart frantically and anemones pull back, as if the very heart of the sea is unsettled. Even in this hidden sanctuary, the peace is shattered by the approaching turmoil.

 

8- Tempest at Sea
Rain lashes the deck as the navigator calls out bearings, their voice calm amid the tempest. The crew moves with practiced haste, securing lines and steadying sails as the wind howls through the rigging.

 

9- Harbour of Dreams
A sweeping AERIAL SHOT glides along the Mediterranean shoreline, unveiling the vast expanse of the shipyard. Rows of timber and neatly stacked planks stretch out below, sunlight glinting off the fresh-cut wood and illuminating the natural grains and colours.

 

10- Echoes of Peril
Her voice carries a tone of urgency that galvanizes the workers into motion. The harmony between human effort and nature’s gifts, so carefully nurtured, now teeters on the brink of destruction. All hands rush to save what they can before the flames consume the legacy of the Cedars.

 

11- Rituals of Thunderous Devotion
As the PRIESTS chant and pour oil over Melqart’s hands, Yadon lifts a ceremonial staff in synchrony, his voice joining the chorus. The congregation thunders in response.

 

12- The Eerie Omens of Tyre
As turmoil intensified, strange omens flickered through Tyre: a falcon circling the temple, a merchant’s cart overturned by invisible winds, a child’s song echoing ominously.

 

13- Fury of Jealousy
Yadon barely had time to release Sophira’s hand before Aziru seized him by the collar, dragging him into the faltering lamplight. Words failed Aziru at first; the fury was too raw, the betrayal too deep. Instead, his fist spoke for him—a sharp crack that split the night air, sending Yadon reeling against a stack of tarred nets.

 

14- The Eerily Discordant Birds
From the distant horizon, the cries of seabirds pierce the quiet, eerily discordant with the tension building in the marketplace.

 

15- The Encampment’s Lament
The Enemy encampment sprawled across the horizon, a sea of tents punctuated by the flickering glow of countless fires.

 

16-     Symphony of Armoured Shadows
Warhorses, their coats glistening in the firelight, stamped impatiently in their enclosures, while the occasional clang of armour echoed like distant thunder.


17- Moonlight Shadows
As the moon reached its zenith, casting an eerie silver glow over the pass, The group, armed with bows and light daggers, crept along a narrow ridge above the enemy camp.

 

18- Chorus of Smoke and Flame
The air was thick with smoke, illuminated by flickering flames, and the cries of the enemy soldiers echoed through the pass.

Jury Panel

A distinguished panel of composers, industry professionals and educators will evaluate: 


1. Musical interpretation & performance 
2. Sound and production quality 
3. Originality & creative identity 
4. Alignment with the selected scene 
5. Overall cinematic impact 
 

 

(Full jury list will be announced soon.)
 

Technical Requirements (Summary)

1. Each track must be correctly named according to its theme, starting with the name of the composer. 
2. Select at least 1 scene; maximum 4 
3. Max 4 compositions per applicant, each under 2 minutes 
4. Recording & mixing must be of professional quality 
5. Preferred file format: .wav - 48 kHz / 24-bit 
6. Finalists must provide stems for their selected track 
7. Finalists must perform at least 1 instrument live 
8. Composers must be open to artistic direction or minor edits if required by the FINIKIA team 
9. All submissions must be original compositions

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