It’s no secret that a large percentage of projects that come through the doors of Abbey Road are attributed to the wonderful art of film scoring. From former Studios’ MD Ken Townsend’s original vision of opening Abbey Road’s doors to the film making community to further building on his legacy with the launch of our new Mix Stage, embracing film score recording, mixing and editing in the walls of Abbey Road. We’re extremely fortunate to witness many phenomenal scores being recorded by some incredible composers.

One, in particular, is Arturo Cardelús’ evocative score to Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles, directed by Salvador Simó and recorded at Abbey Road in 2018. It is now the latest addition to the BFI Player, which offers a different type of streaming experience expertly curated by BFI programmers and special guests.

We’ve teamed up with BFI to bring you an exclusive competition: to download and score a scene from Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles for the opportunity of a personal feedback session with the film’s composer, Arturo Cardelús!

Enter now

Using traditional 2D hand-drawn animation and a fresh way of re-telling a transitional moment in cinema history, the film recounts the fascinating true story of how Luis Buñuel made his second film, Las Hurdes: Land Without Bread. The stranger-than-fiction tale is a compelling and often amusing portrayal of the character of young filmmaker Luis at the beginning of his long career.

The film’s haunting orchestral score is by the Spanish composer and pianist Arturo Cardelús, an associate of the Royal Academy of Music, and was recorded in-part at Abbey Road in Studio Two.

Premiering at the Animation is Film Festival in Los Angeles in October 2018 where it won the Special Jury Award, it has gone on to win numerous awards at festivals, including Best European Animated Feature Film at the European Film Awards 2019. Arturo Cardelús has also won awards and nominations for his score. Arturo enlisted the help of the Royal Academy of Music where he was once a student, and an emotive choral section was recorded at Abbey Road with 40 singers from the Academy’s Musical Theatre Choir.

He now wants you to reinterpret the score to a section of the film!

Composer Arturo Cardelús is known for his memorable melodies and evocative scores. His most recent score, Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles, was nominated for the Goya Award for Best Original Music and won awards for best score at the Málaga and Annecy film festivals. Cardelús has also recently scored the internet sensation In a Heartbeat, the Netflix Original mini-series Call Me Francis, the Billy Zane drama Centurion XII, and Black Beach, directed by Oscar nominee Esteban Crespo.

​Cardelús' contributions to the world of concert music were recognized when he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2016. His works have been performed across Europe, Asia, and the United States in such venues as Madrid's Auditorio Nacional, Tokyo's Kioi Hall, Seoul's Arts Center Concert Hall, and Boston's Jordan Hall. Naxos, a leading classical music label, released an album of Cardelús's chamber music in 2015. The album includes the suite Con Aire de Tango, which was commissioned by Berlin Philharmonic soloists and recorded at Berlin's Philharmonie. Cardelús has also composed chamber works commissioned by Natalia Ensemble, Cuarteto Granada, and Tanya Gabrielian, and his works have also been performed by Gidon Kremer’s Kremerata Baltica and violinist Iwao Furusawa.

We are thrilled to have Arturo Cardelús as part of the competition who will choose his favourite entry, from the shortlist by a team of Abbey Road engineers, to receive a one-to-one virtual feedback session.

Enter now

You can read the T&Cs for the competition here