Brussels-based Be For Films has acquired the international sales rights to “Sisters” (Hermanas), Spanish director Ione Hernández Sáenz’s debut feature film, ahead of the premiere at Toronto Film Festival in the Discovery Section.
The film follows sisters Chelo and Marta, whose lives are about to change forever. That summer, an unexpected event shakes the foundations of their family, bringing ghosts from the past back into the present. What once seemed like an unbreakable bond is put to the test, forcing them to confront a painful dilemma: how far are they willing to go to protect the people they love most, even if it means breaking ties with part of their own family?
The cast is led by Elena Anaya, Emma Suárez, Carlota Keiko, León Martínez, Josean Bengoetxea, Aritz Kortabarria and Nora Otxoteko.
The producers are Lara Izagirre, Garazi Elorza, María Zamora, Jose E. Alenda and César E. Alenda. The production companies are Solita Films, Gariza Films and Elastica Films. The co-production company is ISB. The film is co-financed by ICAA, Madrid City Hall, Eitb, HBO Max and Bizkaia Provincial Council.
Hernández Sáenz has written and directed several short films and documentaries that have screened internationally. Her short films have been selected for the prestigious Kimuak and Madrid en Corto programs. “El Palacio de la Luna” was named Best Short Film of the Year by Cahiers du Cinéma (Spain), while her feature documentary “1% Schizophrenia,” produced by Julio Medem, received a theatrical release.
For the past five years, Hernández Sáenz has served as coordinator and mentor of the Film Directing Master’s program at EFTI – International Center of Photography and Film in Madrid. She also teaches filmmaking workshops for students from underserved communities across Latin America through the Gipuzkoa Coopera program at the San Sebastián Film Festival. Her debut fiction feature, ‘Sisters,” won the Ventana CineMad First Prize in 2021.
