Gustavo Dudamel, John Williams to talk film composing at academy event

Gustavo Dudamel and John Williams will appear together onstage in a conversation about film composing organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The discussion, which will also feature another Gustavo, the Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla, will take place at the Bing Theater at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on July 21.

Dudamel, who is the music director of the L.A. Philharmonic, is making his debut as a film composer with the movie “Libertador,” a historical biopic of Simón Bolívar, that is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on Oct 3.

The movie, which stars Édgar Ramirez as the South American revolutionary, recently screened at the L.A. Film Festival.

In an interview with The Times last year, Dudamel said: “I tried to not take away too much from the images. It was a fantastic experience, but I’m not sure I would do it again.”

The conductor received some help from Williams, who has won five Oscars for his film work and who has been active with the L.A. Philharmonic. Williams told The Times last year that Dudamel had sought his advice on timing and other technical issues, “but I think what I ended up giving him was motivational support more than anything else.”

Williams is scheduled to appear this summer at the Hollywood Bowl to lead concerts of his movie music on Aug. 29th and 30th. Dudamel and Santaolalla (“Brokeback Mountain,” “Babel”) will appear together at the Bowl in a night of film music, including the “Libertador” suite, on July 31.

“Libertador” is directed by Alberto Arvelo, a Venezuelan filmmaker who helmed the 2010 documentary “Dudamel: Let the Children Play,” about Venezuela’s El Sistema music education program.

Twitter: @DavidNgLAT

[Updated: A spokeswoman for the distributor said the U.S. release date has been moved from the previously announced Aug. 22. She also said the U.S. title of the movie is “The Liberator -- Libertador”.]