The full length film, Forastera makes its debut today at the Toronto International Film Festival, also known as TIFF. This is not the titles’ first rodeo for the creator of the short film Lucía Aleñar Iglesias. The short film of the same title had been presented at international film festivals in 2020 and received a nomination at the Gaudi Awards. This makes the filmmaker’s first feature film.

The Synopsis

Cata (Zoe Stein, “Menticore”) and Eva are spending the summer vacation with Catalina and grandfather Tomeu (Lluís Homar, “Broken Embraces”) in their home in Mallorca, in the Catalan Mediterranean, with unparalleled views of the endless blue sea and unrepeatable sunsets. The sisters have a lot of time on their hands and not a care in the world — until tragedy strikes and their universe is hit by the loss of grandma Catalina. That is where this beautifully constructed and sensitive piece of cinema truly begins.

Aleñar Iglesias achieves to maintain the heart of the short film while giving us more depth in the extended version of Forastera. Including the main actress, Zoe Stein to relieve the character with another level of loss and grief. 

I had the opportunity to connect with Lucía Aleñar Iglesias and Zoe Stein yesterday to discuss Forastera. Aleñar Iglesias discussed why she decided to make some changes in location, character name change and some of the scenes she brought to live. Stain expressed how she felt to return to play the young teen again, kayaking on the ocean and the preparation to deliver the emotions without much dialogue. They both shared their excitement to be at TIFF for the premiere and getting to work together again and difficulties of adding the ocean to film and more!

Forastera premieres September 8th at TIFF. Followed by a second screening September 9, 2025.

Source: Alpha Violet 

About Sales Agent ALPHA VIOLET

Alpha Violet is a Paris-based independent sales Company managed by Co-CEOs Virginie Devesa and Keiko Funato. Their editorial line is 6 to 7 films per year. This year’s new titles include two first films at the Berlinale Perspectives: How to be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World by Florian Pochlatko; Where the Night Stands Still by Liryc Dela Cruz, and in Cannes Un Certain Regard, Caravan by Zuzana Kirchnerovà. Alpha Violet’s recent successes are Apples by Christos Nikou, Unrest by Cyril Schäublin, Tótem by Lila Avilés, Sujo by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, and Drowning Dry by Laurynas Bareisa.