Film Concerts: An Immersive Experience of Music

A film concert is a wonderful way to experience old classic movies. (300dpi/Shutterstock)

The soundtracks of great films—from the inspiring “Star Wars” theme song to the earthy melodies of “Fiddler on the Roof”—are what make films truly come alive. Just imagine one of these without the music.

In recent years, a new genre of concert has become available: the live film concert. It is a wonderful way to get the whole family to enjoy an evening of classically performed music.

For the unfamiliar, simply put, a film concert is a live, generally full, orchestra playing the soundtrack for a movie while the movie plays on a big screen at the same time. In addition to feature films being performed this way, another popular avenue for this art form has been nature films, particularly the “Planet Earth Live” series filmed by the BBC, as well as “Our Planet Live in Concert.”

Why Live Film Concerts

Some naysayers might argue that a concert should be experienced as a concert, and a film as a film. But the reason a live film concert may be a happy medium is this: kids and young people, in particular, might not be ready for a pure concert, and a live film concert can be a helpful entrée into the world of classical instruments and classical orchestras while providing a bit of side entertainment at the same time, so to speak.

This experience would allow them to realize more fully where film soundtrack music comes from, or, in the case of digital music, what instruments and instrumental formation it is based off of. It can allow them to put together in their minds the magic of sound with the implements used to make it.

In short, it can help make classical instruments “cool.” Instead of the begrudging attitudes you might get from kids when mentioning attending a classical concert, you might get a lot more buy-in with these.

Another benefit of live film concerts is that they can encourage listeners to listen more actively to music than normal, and to see what emotions or scenery different musical styles or melodies match up with. In fact, to take this a step further, live film concerts could help pave the way for a child to not only be a potentially classical performer one day, but would in addition instill in them some of the sensitivity that a composer or conductor would need as well.

On the film side of things, instead of watching a movie at home or even in a standard movie theater, the live film concert experience fosters a greater sense of community and connection, which we all know is even more important (for our societies and for our own mental health) in this post-COVID age.

Lastly, it is always a positive thing to patronize wholesome performing arts. Goodness knows that the arts are struggling, but even more importantly, that wholesome arts aren’t necessarily the most prevalent nowadays. Helping them thrive is something we can feel good about.

What They Look Like

To get a taste for what a live film concert looks like, you can search for promos of the two nature films I mentioned above (“Planet Earth Live” by the BBC and “Our Planet Live in Concert”) or a promo video of “Fantasia Live in Concert.” I find that nature scenery can be an especially immersive and beautiful way to experience live film concerts.

How to Find Them

This genre isn’t one that is as readily available as, say, a film at your local AMC or Cinemark theater, so it can take some looking to find one. In addition, the opportunities don’t come along often, and you may want to be choosy about exactly which film you take your family to, so advance planning is highly recommended.

Here are the three main sources of live concert film schedules that I have located:

• FilmConcertsLive.com: This website is easy navigable and features lots of different films to choose from. Note that it has the schedule for countries around the world and isn’t limited to just the U.S.
• CineConcerts.com: While this site is similar, it contains more information about the composers behind the music, for those who are interested in further learning.
• MoviesInConcert.nl: Here you can find showings around the world all the way through 2025, but note that some of the concerts listed are merely concerts of film music, so it’s a good idea to read carefully and cross-check your information before making your plans.

I love sharing ideas with readers regarding how to get kids excited about classical music, as this was one of the greatest joys of my youth. For a few more ideas, see my column in general, or more specifically: “How to Get Kids to Appreciate Classical Music and Why.”

There is an amazing, bountiful world out there, with plenty of wholesome ways to keep kids engaged, just waiting to be experienced. Live film concerts are an excellent choice.