The 27th edition of the Ixtar Curts Short Film Festival has concluded in Sant Antoni de Portmany, with Lady in Red and El revisor taking the main awards during two nights dedicated to short films, emerging filmmakers and the wider audiovisual industry.

The festival, one of the longest-running short film showcases in the Balearic Islands, brought together filmmakers, actors, industry professionals and audiences on September 4 and 5.

The closing ceremony saw El revisor, directed by Valencia-based filmmaker Alejandro López García, receive both the Jury Prize and the Audience Prize, while Lady in Red, by Tomás Rojo and Santiago Lindel, won the Audience Prize in the Balearic Section.

El revisor Takes Both Main Awards

The strongest result of the festival went to El revisor, which received both the jury and audience awards in the Official Section.

The short film centres on a man who poses as a gas inspector and exploits vulnerable elderly people.

The subject matter gives the production a strong social dimension, addressing manipulation and the vulnerability of older people through a fictional story.

The dual award means El revisor was the film most clearly supported by both the professional jury and the festival audience.

The award was collected by Ixtar Curts coordinator Nuria Santos on behalf of director Alejandro López García.

Lady in Red Wins the Balearic Audience Award

The opening night, held on Friday, September 4, focused on productions from the Balearic Islands and the wider regional audiovisual scene.

Lady in Red, directed by Tomás Rojo and Santiago Lindel, received the Audience Prize for the Balearic Section.

The film competed as part of a programme featuring several short productions before the audience took part in the voting process.

The Jury Prize for the Balearic Section went instead to Check-Out, directed by Alba Bestard.

The result gave the first evening two different winners, with the audience favouring Lady in Red and the jury selecting Check-Out.

Check-Out Receives the Jury Award

Alba Bestard's Check-Out was recognised by the professional jury during the opening session.

The short was among the productions included in the Balearic and national selection presented to audiences in Sant Antoni.

The distinction means Check-Out was the jury's preferred production within the Balearic Section, while Lady in Red proved particularly successful with the public.

The different results underline the variety of tastes represented during the festival's voting process.

Cinefórum UIB Receives the Honour Award

The opening night also included a special recognition for Cinefórum UIB-Eivissa.

The Cinefórum project, led by Francisco Ruiz and Amable Palacios, received the Cinefórum UIB Honour Award in recognition of its contribution to film culture in Ibiza.

The initiative was launched in 2018 and has developed a regular programme of free film screenings accompanied by discussions with audiences.

Its recognition at Ixtar Curts strengthened the connection between the short film festival and the island's wider culture of film appreciation and debate.

A Special Mention for Eva Prats

Eva Prats, councillor for Culture of Sant Antoni, also received a Special Mention during the opening ceremony.

The recognition highlighted her role in supporting the continuation and preservation of the festival.

Ixtar Curts has developed over more than two decades into an established part of Sant Antoni's cultural programme, and the organisers highlighted the importance of institutional support in allowing the event to continue.

Eric Francés Receives the 2026 Honour Award

The festival's most important individual recognition went to actor and filmmaker Eric Francés.

He received the Ixtar Curts 2026 Honour Award in recognition of his career and contribution to the audiovisual sector.

Francés, who is from Alicante, has worked on more than 30 short films and has collaborated with directors including Icíar Bollaín and Imanol Uribe.

He also has a connection with Ibiza, making the award particularly relevant to the festival's emphasis on professionals linked to the islands and the wider Spanish audiovisual scene.

A Special Mention for Las nuestras

The Special Mention from the closing ceremony went to Las nuestras, directed by María Espejo.

The film pays tribute to older women who preserve traditional cooking through memory, knowledge and intergenerational transmission.

Its recognition added a strong cultural and social element to the final awards.

The short highlights how everyday traditions can become a form of cultural heritage and how personal memories can preserve practices that might otherwise disappear.

Two Days of Film in Sant Antoni

The festival took place over two principal days.

Friday's programme was dedicated to the opening of the 27th edition, with Balearic and national short films screened outdoors in Sant Antoni.

Saturday expanded the programme beyond screenings, adding a professional industry meeting in the morning before the international Official Section and closing ceremony in the evening.

The format allowed the festival to combine public cinema, professional discussion and networking.

Industry Professionals Meet at the Film Brunch

One of the additions to the second day was the industry gathering titled Las voces del rodaje, or The Voices of the Shoot.

The event took place at BioHive Café Ibiza in BiBo Park and brought together professionals working in different parts of the audiovisual production process.

The discussion was moderated by Imma Puerto and included actors, producers, casting professionals, directors and cinematographers.

Topics included independent production, cinematography, casting, directing actors and financing author-driven projects.

A Focus on How Films Are Actually Made

The industry session offered an opportunity to look beyond the finished films being shown at the festival.

Rather than concentrating solely on artistic ideas, speakers discussed the practical challenges involved in bringing a production from concept to screen.

For emerging filmmakers and audiences interested in the industry, the event provided insight into the roles played by different professionals during production.

That educational component is becoming increasingly important for festivals that want to support not only exhibition but also the development of the local audiovisual sector.

Ten Finalists Competed in the Official Section

The closing evening featured ten short films selected as finalists in the Official Section.

The productions competed for both professional and audience recognition.

The fact that the jury and public ultimately agreed on the overall winner gave El revisor a particularly strong result.

The audience vote also provided an opportunity for spectators to have a direct role in the final outcome.

Ixtar Curts Continues a Long Tradition

The 2026 edition confirms the festival's status as one of the longest-running short film events in the Balearic Islands.

Now in its 27th edition, Ixtar Curts has spent decades providing a platform for short-form audiovisual work and connecting creators with audiences.

The organisers have positioned the event as a meeting point for emerging filmmakers, professionals and the public.

That role has become increasingly relevant as short films provide an accessible space for experimentation and for new directors and actors to establish themselves.

Sant Antoni as an Audiovisual Meeting Point

The festival also contributes to Sant Antoni's cultural identity beyond its better-known tourism and nightlife associations.

For two days, the municipality became a meeting place for filmmakers, actors, producers and cinema audiences.

The organisers say the event helps position both Sant Antoni and Ibiza as locations capable of supporting and promoting audiovisual production.

The inclusion of professional discussions alongside public screenings reinforces that objective.

A Link Between Local and International Cinema

Ixtar Curts combines local productions with a broader selection of short films, allowing audiences in Ibiza to encounter different approaches to filmmaking.

The Balearic Section gives local creators an important platform, while the Official Section opens the programme to productions from outside the islands.

This structure helps place Ibiza's filmmakers within a wider audiovisual context rather than treating island cinema as an isolated scene.

The Importance of Short Films

Short films have a particular role within the film industry.

They allow directors to experiment with storytelling, genre, visual language and production methods on a smaller scale.

For new filmmakers, a successful short can become an important calling card for future projects.

For audiences, short film festivals offer the chance to discover filmmakers who may later move into longer productions.

That makes events such as Ixtar Curts particularly valuable for emerging talent.

Cinema Meets Cultural Identity

Several of this year's recognised works also demonstrate how short films can explore social and cultural themes.

El revisor addresses the exploitation of vulnerable older people.

Las nuestras looks at the preservation of traditional knowledge through food and memory.

Other films selected for the festival represented different perspectives on contemporary life and storytelling.

Together, the programme reflected the variety possible within the short-film format.

A Festival With an Educational Side

Education has increasingly become part of the festival's broader role.

The professional brunch gave participants the opportunity to discuss production and career development, while the connection with Cinefórum UIB underlined the importance of film discussion and audience engagement.

The festival is therefore not simply a competition.

It also functions as a space where people involved in cinema can meet, exchange experiences and develop new collaborations.

Support for Ibiza's Film Culture

The recognition given to Cinefórum UIB is particularly significant in this context.

The project has spent years developing a regular cinema programme in Ibiza, giving audiences access to films that might otherwise have limited exposure on the island.

Its relationship with Ixtar Curts demonstrates how different cultural initiatives can reinforce each other.

Festivals, screenings, workshops and professional meetings all contribute to creating a stronger local environment for cinema.

Looking Beyond Ibiza's Clubbing Image

Events such as Ixtar Curts contribute to the island's wider cultural identity.

Ibiza is internationally recognised for electronic music and nightlife, but the island also has a growing calendar of film, theatre, visual arts, literature and cultural events.

A short film festival in Sant Antoni offers a very different image of the island, centred on creativity, storytelling and professional artistic exchange.

That broader cultural dimension is increasingly visible throughout the year.

The Festival's Role in the Balearic Audiovisual Sector

Ixtar Curts is also part of a wider effort to support audiovisual activity in the Balearic Islands.

By highlighting Balearic filmmakers alongside creators from elsewhere, the festival provides an opportunity for regional talent to reach audiences and industry professionals.

The involvement of experienced actors, directors, producers and technicians also creates opportunities for networking.

For an island-based creative community, those connections can be particularly valuable.

A Successful 27th Edition

The 2026 edition combined public screenings, professional discussion, awards and tributes across two days.

The opening focused on Balearic and national productions, while the second day expanded into industry activity and the Official Section.

The festival ended with a clear list of winners, highlighted by the double award for El revisor.

At the same time, individual recognitions for Eric Francés, Cinefórum UIB, Eva Prats and Las nuestras added a wider range of achievements to the programme.

The Full 2026 Award Picture

The principal recognitions from this year's festival were divided across the two main sections.

In the Balearic Section, Lady in Red received the Audience Prize, while Check-Out took the Jury Prize.

In the Official Section, El revisor won both the Jury Prize and the Audience Prize.

Eric Francés received the Ixtar Curts 2026 Honour Award, while Las nuestras was selected for the Special Mention.

Cinefórum UIB received its own Honour Award during the opening night, alongside the Special Mention presented to Eva Prats.

A Strong Platform for Emerging Cinema

The results of the 27th Ixtar Curts underline the festival's role as a platform for both established professionals and emerging filmmakers.

The winning films demonstrate the variety of subjects and styles that can be explored through short cinema, from social vulnerability to personal and cultural memory.

The professional programme also showed that the festival is looking beyond screenings to create a stronger connection between creators and the wider industry.

Sant Antoni Closes Another Chapter of Ixtar Curts

The 27th Mostra Ixtar Curts has now closed, but its impact extends beyond the award announcements.

For two days, Sant Antoni provided a space where cinema was presented, discussed and celebrated, bringing together local talent and professionals with wider industry connections.

El revisor emerged as the clear winner of the Official Section, while Lady in Red captured the Balearic audience award.

With its combination of public cinema, professional exchange, cultural recognition and local participation, Ixtar Curts continues to give short film an important place in Ibiza's cultural calendar.

The 27th edition has once again shown that the island's creative identity reaches far beyond its famous nightlife, with Sant Antoni proving that there is also a strong audience for stories told on the big screen.