A Look Back at Classical:Next: Film Showcases 2025

At Classical:NEXT 2025, the IMZ proudly launched a new initiative that brought together filmmakers and the classical music community.

The programme featured two curated blocks of films, each followed by an in-depth discussion with the filmmakers, moderated by IMZ Secretary General Max Beckham-Ortner. These sessions sparked lively conversations and underscored the potential for stronger ties between the worlds of film and classical music.

The first showcase, “Rediscovering Classics Through Film”, took place on Tuesday, 13 May. Audiences were treated to powerful reinterpretations of classical works, including a modern reimagining of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 (DNA Project from Sweden), a poetic transformation inspired by Béla Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances (Die Wandlung from Germany), and a bold retelling of Ophelia’s tragic tale (Ophelia, the Hysterical from Brazil). Each film demonstrated how timeless themes can be brought into the present through cinematic vision.

The second session, “Reinventing Sound and Stage”, followed on Wednesday, 14 May, and focused on innovation in musical performance. The films explored new sonic landscapes and performance concepts, from a bassist’s journey to compose a concerto for bass guitar (Mission Bass from Belgium), to an experimental deconstruction of the piano (PNO – Prepared New Objects from South Korea), and a dynamic documentary examining the evolving role of orchestras today (KLASSIK Underground: Shifting Sounds from Germany).

You can already look forward to the next edition at Classical:NEXT 2026 in Budapest.