Estibaliz Urresola
Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (born 4 May 1984) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter, and producer. She has won awards for Voces de papel (2016), a documentary, and Chords (short film) (2022), a short film, while her first feature film, 20,000 Species of Bees (2023), has won a variety of awards at various film festivals.
Also recorded as Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren · Estíbaliz Urresola · Estíbaliz Urresola Solaguren
Estibaliz Urresola

Elena Ternovaja · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Born
- 4 April 1984
- Birthplace
- Laudio, Basque Country, Spain
- Education
- * University of the Basque Country (BA)
- Occupation
- * Filmmaker
- Nationality
- Spain.
- Known for
- 20 and 000 Species of Bees.
- Honours
- Gaudí Award for new director.
- Languages
- Spanish, Basque and French.
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Documentary summary
Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (born 4 May 1984) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter, and producer. She has won awards for Voces de papel (2016), a documentary, and Chords (short film) (2022), a short film, while her first feature film, 20,000 Species of Bees (2023), has won a variety of awards at various film festivals.
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wikidata · Q111993425
In this article
Biography
Biography
Estibaliz Urresola studied at University of the Basque Country, Cinema and Audiovisual School of Catalonia and Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión. the recorded working language is Spanish, Basque and French. Works named in the authority record are 20,000 Species of Bees. Distinctions recorded are Gaudí Award for new director.

Sofia Otero and Film Crew of 20.000 especies de abejas, Berlinale 2023
Elena Ternovaja

Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren en la alfombra roja de los Premios Goya 2024 celebrados en Valladolid
Pedro J Pacheco
Key facts
Key facts
• Born — 4 April 1984 • Birthplace — Laudio, Basque Country, Spain • Education — * University of the Basque Country (BA) • Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión (BA) • Cinema and Audiovisual School of Catalonia (MA) • Occupation — * Filmmaker • Years Active — 2011–present • Website — https: sirimirifilms.eu/en/home/
Biography
Biography
Urresola was born on 4 May 1984 in Laudio/Llodio, located in the province of Álava in the autonomous community of Basque Country in northern Spain. She has bachelor's degrees in Audiovisual Communication from the University of the Basque Country and Film Editing from the Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión. Urresola has master's degrees in Film Direction and Film Business—Marketing, distribution and international sales from the Cinema and Audiovisual School of Catalonia (ESCAC). She has worked since 2011 in the Basque film and television industry.
Voces de papel
Voces de papel
Voces de papel is a 2016 full-length documentary about Eresoinka, a mixed instrumental, vocal, and choreographic ensemble of Basque performers that toured internationally from 1937 during the Spanish Civil War until the outbreak of World War II, which forced Eresoinka to return to Europe from the United States. It won the Premio Txapela de Oro for best documentary at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. • Illustration — Urresola receiving the 2022 Forqué Award for best short film for Cuerdas
Cuerdas
Cuerdas
Cuerdas (2022) is a half-hour fictional film about a women's choir in an industrial town has lost its funding from the municipality. A local company, whose factory has contaminated the area surrounding the town, offers to sponsor the choir. With the survival of the choir in doubt, the members must decide whether to accept the sponsorship or not. It was nominated for and won many prizes.
20,000 Species of Bees
20,000 Species of Bees
• Illustration — Urresola, Sofía Otero, and the 20,000 Species of Bees film crew, Berlinale 2023 This was Urresola's first feature film. Her goal of was for the audience to feel the ups and downs of a family with a transgender child. The inspiration for the story was the suicide of Ekai Lersundi in 2018. Ekai Lersundi was a transgender 16-year-old boy from Ondarroa who had waited in vain for a hormonal treatment. Urresola was affected by the poignant note Lersundi left behind to illustrate his despair and his hope that divulging his suffering might bring about a societal change. The film tells the story of a transgender girl, and its effect on the family. To help an accurate portrayal, Naizen, a regional association for the families of transgender minors, worked with the director and provided guidance for Sofía Otero who played the main character. In the film, the family crosses borders, including the one that separates Bayonne in France and Laudio/Llodio in Spanish Basque Country. Although Spanish is predominant in that film, Basque and French are also heard. Urresola seeks naturalism in the conversations between the mother (Patricia López Arnaiz) and her children. Gender dysphoria is dealt with somewhat didactically, but with emotion. "Why am I like this?" asks little Cocó (Otero). As the director explains: In addition to the festival awards that the film itself won and those that Urresola won as a director, Otero won a best performer award, Patricia López Arnaiz won a best supporting actress award, and there were two awards for best female ensemble cast.
Filmography
Filmography
• Year — Title — English translation — Director — Producer — Writer — Editor — Notes — Ref. Reference(s) • 2011 — Adri — Adri — short film • 2013 — 1001 formas de tomar café — 1001 Ways to Drink Coffee — segment in short documentary • 2016 — Voces de papel — Paper Voices — co-editor Pello Gutierrez — full-length documentary • 2018 — Nor Nori Nork — The Declensions — short documentary film • 2020 — Polvo somos — We Are Dust — co-editor Ibai Elortza — short film • 2022 — Cuerdas — Chords (short film) — co-producer — short film • 2023 — 20.000 especies de abejas — 20,000 Species of Bees — feature length
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The canonical record carries the following identifying particulars.
Origins and background
Origins and background
On origins, the institutional record states the following. Institutional cataloguing adds that estibaliz Urresola was born in 1984 at Laudio/Llodio.
Reception and standing
Documentation and reception are recorded as follows. Recorded as having received Gaudí Award for new director.
Awards and nominations
Overall awards for films directed by or directing awards received by Urresola • Year — Film — Festival award — Category — Result — Ref. Reference(s) • 2012 — Adri — 4th Gaudí Awards — Best Short Film — prenomimated • 2016 — Voces de papel — San Sebastián International Film Festival — Premio Txapela de Oro for best documentary • 2022 — Cuerdas — Critics' Week — Rails d'Ory • Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival — Grand prix du court métrage de Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole • 28th Forqué Awards — Best Short Film • Curtas Vila do Conde — Best Fiction • Guanajuato International Film Festival — Premio SIGNIS al Mejor Cortometraje Ficción Internacional • 2023 — 20,000 Species of Bees — 73rd Berlin International Film Festival — Golden Bear • Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas • Berliner Morgenpost Reader's Jury Award • GWFF Best First Feature Award • Teddy Award • 26th Málaga Film Festival — Golden Biznaga for Best Spanish Film • Seattle International Film Festival — Official Competition Grand Jury Prize • Guadalajara International Film Festival — Iberoamerican Competition – Best Film • Iberoamerican Competition – Best First Film • Iberoamerican Competition – Best Directing
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Estíbaliz Urresola: “El cine no debe quedar impasible ante las atrocidades que suceden”. www.elsaltodiario.com.
- 2.Estibaliz Urresola, Itziar Leemans y Tamara Lucarini, elegidas para el programa Noka. El Diario Vasco. 24 January 2019.
- 3.Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren. Semaine de la Critique du Festival de Cannes.
- 4.Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren. SensaCine.com. 22 February 2023.
- 5.Estibaliz Urresola makes her feature debut with 20.000 especies de abejas. Cineuropa. 7 July 2022.
- 6.Paper Voices. Sirimiri films. 22 February 2022.
- 7.Voces de papel. ZAZPIT'ERDI. 20 November 2019.
- 8.Paralelas - Cuerdas. Festival l'ALternativa.
- 9.Forqué saria lortu zuen atzo Esti Urresolak Madrilen, 'Cuerdas' pelikulagatik - Laudio. Aiaraldea.eus. 18 December 2022.
- 10.Barada, Marco. CUERDAS: Aprendiendo a alzar la voz en Cannes. Cine con Ñ. 25 May 2022.
- 11.Velez, Natxo. "Asko pozten nau Cannesen egoteak, atxikimendu handia baitut filmak lantzen duen istorio eta gaiarekin". EITB. 18 May 2022.
- 12.Chords. Sirimiri films. 15 May 2023.
- 13.Cuerdas / Dir: Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren / Spain / 2022. Marvin&Wayne Short Films. 2022.
- 14.The theme of transsexuality in childhood opens the Film and Human Rights Festival. Time News. 20 April 2023.
- 15.Belategui, Oskar. Estibaliz Urresola: "Quiero que el espectador sienta por lo que pasa una familia con una niña trans". BURGOSconecta. 22 February 2023.
- 16.Araluzea, Ane. La joven actriz de Basauri Sofía Otero, Oso de Plata en la Berlinale por '20.000 especies de abejas'. Deia. 26 February 2023.
- 17.A nova actriz Sofía Otero, Oso de Prata á mellor interpretación na Berlinale por '20.000 especies de abellas'. Faro de Vigo. 26 February 2023.
- 18.Ramón, Esteban. '20.000 especies de abejas': la infancia trans en Berlín. RTVE.es. 22 February 2023.
- 19.Sofía Otero, Oso de Plata en la Berlinale por su interpretación de una niña trans en '20.000 especies de abejas'. LaSexta. Europa Press. 26 February 2023.
- 20.Rivas, Idoia. Naizen, asociación de familias de menores trans que asesoró a Sofía, ganadora en la Berlinale: "Es una gran actriz que ha sabido mostrar la realidad de nuestros hijos". Nius Diario. 13 March 2023.
- 21.Belategui, Oskar. '20.000 especies de abejas': el espíritu diverso de la colmena. El Comercio: Diario de Asturias. 22 February 2023.
- 22.Belategui, Oskar. '20.000 especies de abejas': Cuando Aitor se convirtió en Lucía. Ideal. 20 April 2023.
- 23.Roxborough, Scott. Berlin: French Documentary 'On the Adamant' Wins Golden Bear for Best Film. Hollywood Reporter. 25 February 2023.
- 24.Rebolledo, Matías G. "20.0000 especies de abejas" recolecta la Biznaga de Oro en el Festival de Málaga. La Razón. 18 March 2023.
- 25.Rosser, Michael. 'Stonewalling', 'Totem' win top Hong Kong Firebird Awards. ScreenDaily. 9 April 2023.
- 26.Termina FICG38 entre Aplausos y el Estreno del Cortometraje '27'. FICG 38.
- 27.Adri. Sirimiri films. 22 February 2022.
- 28.Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren. Marvin&Wayne Short Films.
- 29.1001 formas de tomar café (película 2013) - Tráiler, resumen, reparto y dónde ver.. La Vanguardia. 1 July 2023.
- 30.San Sebastian Film Festival. sansebastianfestival.
- 31.The Declensions. Sirimiri films. 15 February 2022.
- 32.ESTIBALIZ URRESOLA - NOR NORI NORK. estibalizurresola.com. 7 June 2019.
- 33.Polvo somos / Dir: Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren / Spain / 2020. Marvin&Wayne Short Films.
- 34.Euskal Zinemaren Astea / Semana del Cine Vasco. kulturklik.euskadi.eus. 15 February 2021.
- 35.Barco, Pilar. 'Cuerdas', de la alavesa Estíbaliz Urresola, entra en Kimuak. Diario de Noticias de Álava. 9 June 2022.
- 36."La Incubadoran parte hartzea oparia da; inflexio-puntu bat". Zineuskadi euskal ikus-entzunezko sektorea.
- 37.El cortometraje "Cuerdas" de Estibaliz Urresola gana el premio Rails d'Or en Cannes. EITB. 27 May 2022.
- 38.Le palmarès du 44e Cinemed 2022. Cinemed Festival Cinéma Méditerranéen Montpellier. October 2022.
- 39.Urresola se alza con el Premio Forqué por el corto 'Cuerdas'. El Correo. 18 December 2022.
- 40.Awards Curtas Vila do Conde 2022. festival.curtas.pt. 5 July 2023.
- 41.Ganadores 2022. Festival Internacional de Cine / Guanajuato International Film Festival. 24 January 2022.
- 42.Ramachandran, Naman. Berlin Film Festival Reveals Competition Lineup (Updating Live). Variety. 23 January 2023.
- 43.Roxborough, Scott. Berlin: '20,000 Species of Bees,' 'Totem' Among Independent Jury Winners. Hollywood Reporter. 25 February 2023.
- 44.Films nominated for the GWFF Best First Feature Award. Berlinale. 1 February 2023.
- 45.Nikkhah Azad, Navid. GWFF Best First Feature Award Jury. Deed News. 2 February 2023.
- 46.Word Press. Feature Films: TEDDY nominated. Teddy Award. 11 February 2023.
- 47.Seattle International Film Festival 2023 Award Winners. SIFF. 21 May 2023.
- 48.TERMINA FICG38 ENTRE APLAUSOS Y EL ESTRENO DEL CORTOMETRAJE '27'. Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara. 9 June 2023.
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1- University of the Basque CountryOrganisation
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This entry is compiled from 5 catalogued sources across 5 independent registers. The registers consulted are Wikidata, Crossref registry, DOAJ, DataCite and Wikipedia. Every statement above is held against the register that stated it; where the registers are silent, the entry is silent.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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