Alex Heffes
Encyclopedia
Alex Heffes is a British film composer (born 1971 in Beaconsfield
, Buckinghamshire
). His film scores include the BAFTA-winning Touching the Void
, and Oscar-winning movies One Day in September
and The Last King of Scotland
.
He graduated from Oxford University with first class honours and started his professional life playing keyboards and writing and arranging for commercials and TV (his band is featured playing in jazz club scenes in the film Circus). This led to him becoming assistant to composer Simon Boswell
with whom he scored over 20 movies including A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Cousin Bette. He also collaborated on Elton John
’s score to Women Talking Dirty and with members of Blur
.
Since then he has gone on to become a successful movie composer, notably scoring many of Kevin Macdonald’s films. He travelled to Uganda to produce the soundtrack to The Last King of Scotland
. He has proved successful in a variety of different genres including Steve Coogan
’s The Parole Officer
, Out of Reach with Steven Seagal
and Trauma
starring Colin Firth
and Mena Suvari
.
He has been nominated for BAFTA and Ivor Novello Awards
.
He always conducts his own orchestral scores. Concert commissions include pieces for the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Oman, the Sangat Music Festival in Mumbai and the Birmingham Schools percussion Ensemble.
Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield is a market town and civil parish operating as a town council within the South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies northwest of Charing Cross in Central London, and south-east of the county town of Aylesbury...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
). His film scores include the BAFTA-winning Touching the Void
Touching the Void (film)
Touching the Void is a 2003 documentary film based on the book of the same name by Joe Simpson about Simpson's and Simon Yates' disastrous and near fatal attempt to climb the 6,344 metre Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.-Outline:...
, and Oscar-winning movies One Day in September
One Day in September
One Day in September is a 1999 documentary film directed by Kevin Macdonald examining the 5 September 1972 murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany...
and The Last King of Scotland
The Last King of Scotland (film)
The Last King of Scotland is a 2006 British drama film based on Giles Foden's novel of the same name, adapted by screenwriters Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock, and directed by Kevin Macdonald...
.
He graduated from Oxford University with first class honours and started his professional life playing keyboards and writing and arranging for commercials and TV (his band is featured playing in jazz club scenes in the film Circus). This led to him becoming assistant to composer Simon Boswell
Simon Boswell
Simon Boswell is a BAFTA nominated British film score composer, conductor, producer and musician, with more than 90 credits to his name. He is known for combining mainly electronic elements with orchestral.-Biography:...
with whom he scored over 20 movies including A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Cousin Bette. He also collaborated on Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
’s score to Women Talking Dirty and with members of Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
.
Since then he has gone on to become a successful movie composer, notably scoring many of Kevin Macdonald’s films. He travelled to Uganda to produce the soundtrack to The Last King of Scotland
The Last King of Scotland
The Last King of Scotland is an award-winning 1998 novel by journalist Giles Foden. Focusing on the rise of Ugandan President Idi Amin and his reign as dictator from 1971 to 1979, the novel is written as the memoir of a fictional Scottish doctor in Amin's employ. Giles Foden's novel received...
. He has proved successful in a variety of different genres including Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
’s The Parole Officer
The Parole Officer
The Parole Officer is a 2001 film, directed by John Duigan and was the first feature film to star comedian Steve Coogan. The film follows a mismatched group of former criminals as they assist their probation officer in proving his innocence after a murder accusation.-Plot:Simon Garden is a...
, Out of Reach with Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
and Trauma
Trauma (2004 film)
Trauma is a 2004 British psychological thriller directed by Marc Evans and written by Richard Smith.-Cast:*Colin Firth as Ben*Mena Suvari as Charlotte*Naomie Harris as Elisa*Sean Harris as Roland*Neil Edmond as Mills...
starring Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
and Mena Suvari
Mena Suvari
Mena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
.
He has been nominated for BAFTA and Ivor Novello Awards
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
.
He always conducts his own orchestral scores. Concert commissions include pieces for the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Oman, the Sangat Music Festival in Mumbai and the Birmingham Schools percussion Ensemble.
Selected filmography
- State of PlayState of Play (film)State of Play is a 2009 French-British-American political thriller film. It is an adaptation of the six-part British television serial of the same name which first aired on BBC One in 2003. The plot of the six-hour serial was condensed to fit a two-hour movie format, with the location changed to...
- My Enemy's EnemyMy Enemy's EnemyMy Enemy's Enemy is a documentary film directed by Kevin Macdonald in 2007.-Synopsis:The story of Klaus Barbie through World War II and post-war hiding journey in Argentina before being tried in France for crime against humanity.-Casting:...
- Tsunami: The Aftermath
- Last King of Scotland
- The Bridge (documentary film)The Bridge (documentary film)The Bridge is a 2006 documentary film by Eric Steel that consists of the results of one year's filming of the Golden Gate Bridge in 2004, which captured a number of suicides, and additional filming of family and friends of some of the identified people who had jumped off the bridge...
- Imagine Me and You
- Vet Hard (UK title Too Fat too Furious)
- Trauma (2004 film)Trauma (2004 film)Trauma is a 2004 British psychological thriller directed by Marc Evans and written by Richard Smith.-Cast:*Colin Firth as Ben*Mena Suvari as Charlotte*Naomie Harris as Elisa*Sean Harris as Roland*Neil Edmond as Mills...
- Out of Reach
- Dear FrankieDear FrankieDear Frankie is a 2004 British drama film directed by Shona Auerbach. The screenplay by Andrea Gibb focuses on a young single mother whose love for her son prompts her to perpetuate a deception designed to protect him from the truth about his father....
- Touching the Void (film)Touching the Void (film)Touching the Void is a 2003 documentary film based on the book of the same name by Joe Simpson about Simpson's and Simon Yates' disastrous and near fatal attempt to climb the 6,344 metre Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.-Outline:...
- The Parole OfficerThe Parole OfficerThe Parole Officer is a 2001 film, directed by John Duigan and was the first feature film to star comedian Steve Coogan. The film follows a mismatched group of former criminals as they assist their probation officer in proving his innocence after a murder accusation.-Plot:Simon Garden is a...
- Late Night ShoppingLate Night ShoppingLate Night Shopping is a comedy funded by FilmFour Productions. The film is about four young friends who all work the graveyard shifts in various soul-killing jobs then meet up in a cafe after their shift to talk about nothing and generally kill time.- Synopsis :Each of...
- Crust
- One Day in SeptemberOne Day in SeptemberOne Day in September is a 1999 documentary film directed by Kevin Macdonald examining the 5 September 1972 murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany...
- Downtime