GUITARIST RICK DEL CASTILLO SCORES BIG AT PARK CITY FILM MUSIC FESTIVAL
Austin-based musician turned film composer wins GOLD AWARD for "Best Score for a Short Film"
February 28, 2007 - Guitarist Rick del Castillo, of the Latin-rock band Del Castillo, scored big and won the prestigious “Gold Award” (January 28) at the Park City Film Music Festival, which runs concurrent with the Sundance Film Festival. The “Gold Award” honors the best use of music in a short film. Rick composed the score - one of over one thousand entries submitted to the festival - for the short film Killing Snakes.
"I've done music cues for Robert Rodriguez's films, some on acoustic and others on electric guitar, and our band Del Castillo had a song in the soundtrack for Once Upon A Time In Mexico but this is the first time I composed an entire score for a film incorporating traditional nylon guitar with rock drums along with full orchestration" said del Castillo. Most of the compositions were written while Del Castillo was on tour and later recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, Bratislava Recording Studio in Slovakia, and Del Castillo's own Smilin' Castle Studio in Austin, Texas. "Director Carl Thiel gave me good instructions on where to place some of the cues" del Castillo said.
Killing Snakes is the story of two childhood friends who go to Spain and get caught up in the drug world of an obsessive kingpin, ending up in a 'no holds barred' polo game. Along with del Castillo, the short film was co-written with Martina Amende Kreidl , who has worked with Robert Redford on A River Runs Through It. "It was inspiring to have the music before much of the film was shot and being at Abbey Road was a highlight of our Killing Snakes experience," said Amende Kreidl. The film features talent from Austin: Carl Thiel, director/editor; Martina Amende Kreidl, producer/co-writer; Rick del Castillo, co-writer/composer; starring Cecilio Ruiz, Doc Ruiz, Scott Roddan, Albert Besteiro, Alex Ruiz and Rick del Castillo.
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