SEVEN ACADEMY AWARD–WINNING AND NOMINATED ARTISTS, THE WORLD’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS FILM HONOUR, ARRIVE IN VARAŽDIN, CROATIA

Actors Simon Pegg and Ciarán Hinds, alongside Academy Award-winning sound designer James Mather, lead the guest lineup of the International Sound & Film Music Festival 2026 in Varaždin, Croatia.

A festival that has grown from a family initiative into one of the most important global platforms dedicated to film music and sound continues to expand its international presence, confirming Varaždin as an unmissable destination on Europe’s cinematic map.

Simon Pegg, star of the Mission: Impossible and Star Trek franchises, and Ciarán Hinds, the acclaimed actor known for Game of Thrones and Harry Potter, lead the lineup of the 14th edition of the International Sound & Film Music Festival, in Varaždin from May 21 to 24, 2026.

This year’s edition further reinforces the festival’s international standing, establishing it as one of Europe’s leading platforms for film sound and music, while presenting an exceptional international lineup of guests. Simon Pegg and James Mather are the recipients of this year’s Honorary Crystal Pine Award, a special recognition presented to artists whose work transcends individual projects and leaves a lasting impact on contemporary cinema.

Simon Pegg is an acclaimed actor, writer and producer who rose to prominence with the cult TV series Spaced, before co-writing and starring in Shaun of the Dead, followed by Hot Fuzz and The World’s End — the celebrated “Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy” created with Edgar Wright. He is widely known for his role as Benji Dunn in the Mission: Impossible franchise, as well as for portraying Montgomery Scott (Scotty) in Star Trek, Star Trek: Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond. His film and television credits also include Ready Player One, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Boys, The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance, Lost Transmissions and The Undeclared War, while his voice work spans projects such as Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Ice Age: Collision Course and The Adventures of Buck Wild. This year’s Honorary Crystal Pine Award recipient, Pegg is an artist whose work spans from auteur-driven British comedy to major Hollywood blockbusters, leaving a lasting mark on contemporary cinema.

James Mather, Academy Award-winning sound designer (Top Gun: Maverick), is one of the key figures shaping the modern sound of large-scale film productions. In addition to his Oscar-winning work, his credits include Belfast (2021, Academy Award nomination), Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023, Academy Award nomination), Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018, BAFTA nomination), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011, BAFTA nomination), as well as House of Gucci, Death on the Nile, and A Haunting in Venice. His work highlights the power of sound as one of the most essential storytelling elements in film.

The Honorary Crystal Pine Award is presented to artists whose body of work represents an outstanding contribution to the development of film art not only through technical excellence, but through vision, innovation, and lasting influence on how we experience cinema today.

Ciarán Hinds, one of the most respected actors of his generation, is the recipient of this year’s Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) Lifetime Achievement Award and serves as President of the ISFMF International Jury. His career spans acclaimed works such as Belfast, There Will Be Blood, and the series Game of Thrones.

Alongside them, the programme brings together a range of distinguished professionals from the worlds of film and music, including:

• Mark Ulano, Academy Award-winning production sound mixer (Titanic) and three-time Oscar nominee (Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood, Ad Astra, Inglourious Basterds)
• Laia Casanovas and Yasmina Praderas, whose work on Sirât received the European Film Award for Sound and earned an Academy Award nomination
• Alex Serdiuk, co-founder and CEO of Respeecher, a global pioneer in AI voice technology, who will present how artificial intelligence is transforming film sound
• Kathy Kelly, singer-songwriter, producer, and leader of the legendary group The Kelly Family, and a key creative force behind their greatest 1990s hits including An Angel and I Can’t Help Myself

This year’s edition further reinforces its international relevance through a selection of films that have achieved significant global recognition. The programme is further elevated by the arrival of the creative team behind A Friend of Dorothy – director Lee Knight and producer James Dean, this year’s Academy Award nominees in the Best Short Film category. Their participation in screenings and audience discussions will offer a direct insight into the creative process behind one of the year’s most notable short films.

“This year’s lineup shows that film sound and music are no longer a background technology, but a central attraction bringing some of the world’s leading names to Varaždin,” the festival organisers emphasize.

Further programme details will be announced in the lead-up to the festival.