Cinefórum UIB-Eivissa has been honoured with the 2026 Balearic Honor Award from the Mostra Ixtar Curts, recognising a cultural project that has spent almost eight years bringing free cinema and post-screening debate to audiences in Ibiza.

The award was presented during the opening night of the 27th edition of Ixtar Curts in Sant Antoni de Portmany on Friday, September 4.

The Cinefórum project, created by Amable Palacios and José Francisco Ruiz with the support of the University of the Balearic Islands and the Conservatori Professional de Música i Dansa d'Eivissa i Formentera, has organised more than 100 cinema sessions since its first screening in October 2018.

Recognition for More Than 100 Film Sessions

The Ixtar Curts award recognises Cinefórum UIB-Eivissa's contribution to the island's cultural life and its commitment to presenting cinema as a space for discussion rather than simply passive entertainment.

Since its beginnings in 2018, the project has screened more than 100 films covering a broad range of cinema, from major classics and independent productions to documentaries and experimental work.

The organisers of Ixtar Curts say the project has helped create a space where audiences can develop a more critical relationship with cinema and engage in discussion about what they have watched.

The sessions have also welcomed experts, directors, musicians and professionals from different fields, adding discussions and different perspectives to the screenings.

Award Presented During Ixtar Curts in Sant Antoni

The official presentation took place during the first evening of the XXVII Mostra Ixtar Curts at the square behind the church in Sant Antoni de Portmany.

The 2026 edition was held over two evenings, September 4 and 5, with free admission until capacity was reached.

The opening night was dedicated particularly to Balearic and local audiovisual creation.

The award therefore connected two different sides of Ibiza's film culture: a long-running local screening initiative and a short-film festival dedicated to giving visibility to emerging filmmakers.

Cinefórum Began in 2018

Cinefórum UIB-Eivissa held its first screening in October 2018.

The project was established through the UIB's island campus and the Conservatori Professional de Música i Dansa, creating a regular setting for audiences to see films and then discuss them.

Over the years, the programme has moved across different areas of cinema rather than concentrating on a single genre or period.

Its programme has included classic films, contemporary independent cinema, documentaries and more experimental work, helping establish a varied cultural programme on the island.

The Importance of Debate After the Film

One of the defining features of Cinefórum is that the screening is only part of the experience.

The project combines films with discussion sessions, allowing audiences to consider themes, filmmaking techniques, historical context and different interpretations.

The organisers behind Ixtar Curts highlighted this aspect when announcing the award, describing Cinefórum as a project that has helped create critical audiences and encouraged active engagement with cinema.

More than 100 sessions have made the initiative a sustained part of Ibiza's cultural calendar rather than a one-off film programme.

New Partnership With Ixtar Curts

The 2026 award also comes with a practical collaboration between the two cultural projects.

From the beginning of the 2026-27 academic year, each Cinefórum UIB-Eivissa session will include a short film selected from the Ixtar Curts programme before the main feature.

The arrangement gives short-film directors another opportunity to reach audiences throughout the year.

It also creates a direct connection between a festival focused on short films and a regular cinema programme with an established local audience.

The initiative is intended to give the short-film format a more consistent presence in Ibiza beyond the festival itself.

Supporting Short Film in Ibiza

Short films can often struggle to find regular screening opportunities outside specialist festivals.

The new Cinefórum partnership provides a recurring platform where selected Ixtar Curts productions can be shown alongside the main film of each session.

For local and visiting filmmakers, that creates an additional route to audiences on the island.

For Cinefórum audiences, it also means discovering shorter works that they may otherwise never encounter through conventional cinema programming.

Ixtar Curts Continues Its Long History

The recognition formed part of the 27th edition of Ixtar Curts, one of the longest-running short-film festivals in the Balearic Islands.

The 2026 edition expanded to two main evenings of screenings in Sant Antoni.

Friday focused on Balearic and regional productions, while Saturday presented the festival's wider official selection of national and international short films.

The festival also included a professional industry session examining the different roles and challenges involved in film production.

This combination of public screenings, awards and professional activity reflects Ixtar Curts' broader role in supporting audiovisual culture.

Local Talent Takes Centre Stage

The opening night included several short films from filmmakers connected with the Balearic Islands.

Among the works selected were El resó de la mirada, Veganos, Check Out, Sub-Text and Lady in Red.

The Ibiza connection was particularly strong, with the programme also featuring EnVIA2 by Ibiza filmmaker Joan Francolí as a special out-of-competition screening.

The emphasis on island-based creators gives Ixtar Curts a role in promoting audiovisual production closer to home, while the wider official selection brings filmmakers and perspectives from beyond the Balearics.

Cinefórum Recognised Alongside Local Film Creation

The presentation of the Balearic Honor Award during this year's festival created an interesting link between the people making films and the audiences supporting them.

While Ixtar Curts provides a platform for filmmakers and short-film productions, Cinefórum has concentrated on developing audiences and encouraging people to engage more deeply with cinema.

The two initiatives therefore complement one another.

One creates opportunities for new work to be shown, while the other provides a regular local audience and a culture of discussion around film.

A Cultural Project Rooted in Ibiza

The recognition also highlights the role that independent cultural initiatives can play in Ibiza.

Cinefórum is not simply an occasional festival programme. Its more than 100 sessions represent years of regular activity and a sustained commitment to bringing cinema to audiences on the island.

Its connection with the UIB and the conservatory has also allowed the project to operate within established educational and cultural spaces.

The involvement of guests from different professional backgrounds has helped make the post-film discussions an important part of the programme.

The 2026 Festival's Main Awards

The award for Cinefórum was part of a wider prize programme at this year's Ixtar Curts.

The festival's Balearic section awarded its Jury Prize to Alba Bestard's Check-Out, while Lady in Red by Tomás Rojo and Santiago Lindel received the Audience Award.

The wider festival programme subsequently awarded major prizes to other short films, with El revisor and Lady in Red among the productions receiving recognition at the closing ceremony.

The different categories reflected the festival's emphasis on both established and emerging audiovisual talent.

Bringing Cinema Closer to the Public

For audiences in Ibiza, the award is also recognition of the value of having accessible cultural activities throughout the year.

Cinefórum's sessions are free, making them available to people who may not regularly attend commercial cinema or paid cultural events.

The discussion format also encourages audiences to stay involved after the credits have finished.

This approach has helped establish the project as a meeting place for people interested not only in watching films but also in discussing them.

A New Chapter for Cinefórum

The Ixtar Curts award marks both a recognition of Cinefórum's past and the beginning of a new collaboration.

The addition of an Ixtar Curts short film before each Cinefórum screening will provide the festival's selected filmmakers with continued exposure while giving the Cinefórum programme a stronger connection to Ibiza's short-film community.

It means audiences will have the opportunity to encounter new short films on a regular basis rather than only during the annual festival.

A Well-Deserved Ibiza Film Honour

Cinefórum UIB-Eivissa's Balearic Honor Award recognises a project that has quietly built a strong cultural presence in Ibiza since 2018.

More than 100 free screenings, hundreds of conversations and contributions from filmmakers, experts and professionals have helped create a dedicated audience for cinema and critical discussion on the island.

The new partnership with Ixtar Curts now adds another dimension, providing a regular screen for short films throughout the academic year.

For Ibiza's film community, it is a fitting next step for a project built around the simple idea that cinema can be much more than watching a film. It can also be a reason to meet, debate, discover new voices and keep the conversation going long after the final scene.