'Parasite' Composer Jung Jae-il Is Coming to Australia to Conduct the Movie's Score Live at 2025's Melbourne International Film Festival
Also responsible for the 'Squid Game' score, Jung is teaming up with Orchestra Victoria — and will play piano himself during two concert screenings of Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning hit.
Finding greatness in Bong Joon-ho's Parasite isn't difficult. The perceptive class-clash and eat-the-rich story, the array of pitch-perfect performances, the acclaimed director's stunning mastery of tone, the insightful and revealing production design: they're all examples in this Oscar- and Cannes-winning South Korean masterpiece. Another instance comes courtesy of composer Jung Jae-il's score, which soundtracks the film with tunes both disquieting and baroque. It's no wonder that accolades came Jung's way, too, including from his homeland's Grand Bell Awards.
Hearing Jung's contribution echoing as Parasite screens is the best way to appreciate it, of course — and watching him perform it live in Australia with Orchestra Victoria will dial what's already a spectacular experience up a few notches. For the first time, the composer is heading Down Under, all thanks to 2025's Melbourne International Film Festival. The event's commitment to honouring the art of screen composition via screenings that pair live tunes and movies is continuing, and two Parasite in Concert sessions are set to be among this year's fest highlights.
At 2pm and 8pm on Saturday, August 23 at Hamer Hall in the Victorian capital, Jung will take to the keys. He'll also be conducting Orchestra Victoria as he plays. Seeing Parasite on a big screen is already a treat, no matter how many times you've watched it before; however, giving the picture the concert treatment is something extra special. It's only happening in Melbourne, if you're located elsewhere in Australia and needed more motivation — beyond the 26 films the fest has already announced for 2025 — to attend this year's MIFF.
Jung isn't just known for Parasite. If you've felt the tension emanating from Squid Game's score across its two seasons so far — with the third arriving before June 2025 is out — then you've also appreciated the composer's efforts. Prior to Parasite, Jung collaborated with Bong on Okja, then did so again afterwards on this year's Mickey 17. The tunes in Hirokazu Kore-eda's Broker hail from him as well, as does the score for MIFF 2025 title Twinless.
"Composing the score of Parasite for director Bong Joon Ho was a life-changing experience for me, and it's a work I'm incredibly proud of. I'm so excited to conduct and perform this original score live in concert for the first time in Australia with the talented Orchestra Victoria as part of Melbourne International Film Festival," said Jung about MIFF's Parasite in Concert events.
"This isn't just a film with live music, it's something far more rare. To see Jung Jae-il perform and conduct his own score, live, brings an intimacy and immediacy you can't replicate," added Melbourne International Film Festival Artistic Director Al Cossar.
"It's exactly the kind of experience that belongs on a festival stage. In collaboration with Orchestra Victoria, we're proud to present something that speaks directly to MIFF's mission to bring audiences the story of the world through unforgettable screen experiences," Cossar continued.
Parasite in Concert joins two sessions of almost-100-year-old masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc with a new score by Julia Holter on the music-and-movies side of Melbourne International Film Festival's 2025 program so far. As for what else they'll have for company beyond the already-revealed titles, the fest's full lineup is unveiled on Thursday, July 10.
Check out the trailer for Parasite below:
Parasite Live in Concert takes place on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Southbank — with tickets on sale from 11am on Thursday, June 12, 2025 via the venue website.
The 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. For further details, including the full program from Thursday, July 10, visit the MIFF website.
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