Forastera (film)

Forastera
Promotional poster
Directed byLucía Aleñar Iglesias
Written byLucía Aleñar Iglesias
Starring
CinematographyAgnès Piqué
Edited byPaola Freddi
Music by
Production
companies
  • Lastor Media
  • Vilaüt Films
  • La Perifèrica Produccions
  • Presenta
  • Kino Produzioni
  • Fox in the Snow
Distributed by
  • Atalante (Spain)
  • Folkets Bio (Sweden)
Release dates
  • 8 September 2025 (2025-09-08) (TIFF)
  • 11 September 2026 (2026-09-11) (Spain)
Countries
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Italy
Languages
  • Catalan
  • English
  • Spanish

Forastera is a 2025 drama film written and directed by Lucía Aleñar expanding on Aleñar's eponymous short film. It stars Zoe Stein and Lluís Homar. It is shot in Catalan.

Plot

As sisters Cata and Eva are having a vacation with their grandparents in Mallorca, they are hit by the death of grandmother Catalina. Upon trying on one of Catalina's old dresses, Cata steps into her grandmother's vacant role, causing family resentments and subsequent healing to come to surface.[1]

Cast

Production

The film is a Spanish-Swedish-Italian co-production by Lastor Media, Vilaüt Films, Presenta, La Perifèrica Produccions, Kino Produzioni and Fox in the Snow, with the participation of 3Cat, RTVE, IB3, Filmin and the backing from ICAA, ICEC, Creative Europe MEDIA, Direzione generale Cinema e audiovisivo, the Swedish Film Institute, Fundació Mallorca Turisme, Mallorca Film Commission, Artekino, and Göteborgs Stad.[3] It was shot in Catalan in locations of the island of Mallorca, including Alcúdia and Pollença.[4]

Release

Cast and crew members during the presentation at the Seminci in October 2025

The film premiered in the Discovery section of the 50th Toronto International Film Festival on 8 September 2025.[2][5] Alpha Violet handled international sales.[2] Filmin secured rights to a streaming window.[6] For its Spanish premiere, the film made it to the 'Meeting Point' slate of the 70th Valladolid International Film Festival (Seminci).[7] Its festival run also included selections for screenings at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and the 2025 Stockholm International Film Festival.[8]

Distribution deals were closed for the markets of Spain (Atalante), Sweden (Folkets Bio), Japan (Starcat), and the United States (Grasshopper Film).[8]

The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in Spain on 11 September 2026.[9][10]

Reception

Carlos Aguilar of RogerEbert.com gave the film a 4-star rating, declaring it "a major discovery, handling grief with alluring stylistic choices that enhance the already remarkable narrative".[11]

Natalia Winkelman of The New York Times hailed Forastera as "an exquisitely deconstructed ghost story, a muted mystery that beguiles while remaining deeply grounded in its evocative setting".[12]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 35 reviews, with an average rating of 8.0/10.[13]

Accolades

Aleñar holding her Pilar Miró prize obtained at the 2025 Seminci
Year Award CategoryNominee(s) ResultRef.
2025
2025 Toronto International Film FestivalFIPRESCI PrizeWon[14]
70th Valladolid International Film Festival'Pilar Miró' Prize for Best Spanish DirectorLucía AleñarWon[15]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Cadavid, Diana. "Forastera". tiff.net. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Roxborough, Scott (4 September 2025). "Toronto: 'Forastera' Explores Family Trauma on a Vacation Hit by Tragedy (Exclusive Trailer)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. 1 2 "'Forastera', ópera prima de Lucía Aleñar Iglesias, tendrá su estreno mundial en la sección Discovery del Festival de Toronto 2025". Audiovisual451. 24 July 2025.
  4. ↑ Rivera, Alfonso (19 April 2024). "Lucía Aleñar shooting her feature debut, Forastera". Cineuropa.
  5. ↑ "Las españolas Lucía Aleñar y Zoe Stein estrenan en el Festival de Toronto 'Forastera'". La Razón. 9 September 2019.
  6. ↑ "Filmin presentó cuatro nuevas producciones originales". Camera and Light Mag. 3 June 2025.
  7. ↑ "La Seminci presumirá de cine español con el estreno de 10 largos y una serie de televisión". Diario de Valladolid. 16 September 2025.
  8. 1 2 Sales Ross, Rafa (23 October 2025). "Lucía Aleñar Iglesias' Award-Winning 'Forastera' Acquired for U.S. by Grasshopper Film, Lands Spanish, Japanese and Swedish Distribution (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  9. ↑ "El cine español que se estrenará en 2026". Audiovisual451 (in European Spanish). 2 January 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Bellón Rey, Ángela (23 July 2026). "Forastera: delicada ópera prima de Lucía Aleñar Iglesias". Neo2. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Aguilar, Carlos (29 May 2026). "Forastera". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Winkelman, Natalia (28 May 2026). "'Forastera' Review: An Exquisitely Deconstructed Ghost Story". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Forastera". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  14. ↑ Erbland, Kate (14 September 2025). "The Toronto International Film Festival 2025 Awards Are Being Announced Now (Updating)". IndieWire.
  15. ↑ De Pablos, Emiliano (3 November 2025). "Valladolid's 70th Seminci Crowns Kelly Reichardt's 'The Mastermind' and Lav Díaz's 'Magellan'". Variety.
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