Haritz Zubillaga

Though most of his career was lined with short films and commercials, Haritz Zubillaga shone from the get-go as a director with big ideas. Marked by some dark and macabre (albeit thematically rich) sensibilities, Zubillaga developed a recognizable cinematic voice that followed him through his work as a director, writer, and editor. Haritz Zubillaga was born in 1977 in Bilbao, Spain, and went on to study audiovisual communication at the University of the Basque Country. Following graduation, Zubillaga pursued a career directing short films and advertisements, beginning with the 16-minute-long thriller project "El método" (2001). He co-directed and co-wrote the film with one-time writer/director José Alfredo Pérez, himself a professional video tape operator. The project established Zubillaga's penchant for dark themes, one that would carry through the majority of his body of work. Zubillaga directed two more short-form thrillers directly afterward: "Pornografía" (2003) and "En la boca del lobo" (2004). Next, he changed pace by playing editor to writer/director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia's comical project "913" (2004), but returned to his usual macabre tone thereafter with "Las horas muertas" (2007) and the horror picture "She's Lost Control" (2010). Zubillaga again teamed with Gaztelu-Urrutia for the action-horror short "La casa del lago" (2011).