FILMMAKER JUANMA BAJO ULLOA HONORED WITH THE "LIBERTY" AWARD FOR CHAMPIONING ARTISTIC INDEPENDENCE
The acclaimed director from Vitoria will receive this award from the Kursaal Film Festival San Sebastián (KFFSS) in recognition of a steadfast and unwavering career that has resisted commercial trends and ideological impositions.
The creator of masterpieces such as *Alas de mariposa* and the massive hit *Airbag*, Bajo Ulloa has established himself as a leading figure of integrity in the fight for the artist's total creative sovereignty.
In a cultural landscape heavily defined by uniformity and narrative control, filmmaker Juanma Bajo Ulloa has been honored with the LIBERTAD (Freedom) Award by the Kursaal Film Festival San Sebastián (KFFSS). This accolade pays tribute to his unwavering stance in defense of artistic freedom and absolute creative independence in cinema, cementing the director’s status as a symbol of cultural resistance.
Bajo Ulloa—who shook the foundations of national cinema early in his career by becoming the youngest director to win the Golden Shell at the San Sebastián International Film Festival for *Alas de mariposa*—has maintained a firm, critical stance over the decades regarding the institutional mechanisms governing today’s industry. The Vitoria-born filmmaker has repeatedly spoken out against the excessive politicization of funding and the imposition of agendas, arguing that true art must stem from personal honesty rather than propaganda slogans.
"Making the films one desires, rather than those that are imposed, comes at a very high personal and professional cost, but independence is worth it," notes the director, whose work has always sought to "disconnect from power" and restore respect for the audience's intelligence and freedom of interpretation.
A career defined by boldness and honesty
The presentation of the LIBERTAD Award highlights a career characterized by unique versatility, moving masterfully between raw psychological drama and transgressive comedy. His filmography speaks for itself:
*Alas de mariposa* (1991): A harrowing debut that won three Goya Awards and garnered international acclaim.
*La madre muerta* (1993): A cult classic that solidified his powerful, hypnotic visual universe.
*Airbag* (1997): An unprecedented milestone that revolutionized the box office and the comedy genre in Spain, proving that auteur-driven cinema can also achieve mass appeal.
*Baby* (2020) and his recent thriller *El mal* (2026): bold, pure formal works that bring suspense and human reflection—devoid of moralizing rhetoric—back to the screen.
Building upon his production company Gasteizko Zinema—founded when he was barely 17—Bajo Ulloa has evolved into his new company, Fragil Zinema, which upholds an uncompromising philosophy. The recognition from the Kursaal Film Festival San Sebastián (KFFSS) highlights not only his formal contribution to cinema but also the value of maintaining an authentic, personal voice, serving as vital inspiration for new generations of creators across the global industry.
SAN SEBASTIÁN, September 15, 2026.
Signed: Alfredo Izquierdo
Director of the Kursaal Film Festival San Sebastián (KFFSS) and filmmaker.
Festival website: https://www.kursaalffss.com