When a traumatic schoolyard incident severed their friendship, childhood besties Cecilia and Emma went their separate ways. Twelve years later, Emma is about to get married to her fiancée Fran while Cecilia has collected over 200,000 followers through her viral self-help videos. After a chance encounter, the two rekindle their bond, and Emma invites Cecilia to her bachelorette weekend (or “hen’s weekend” as they call it Down Under). But when Cecilia realizes Alex, the bully who orchestrated Cecilia and Emma’s falling out, will also be joining them, the wounds of the past are reopened with savage consequences.

The second feature collaboration from Kane Senes and Hannah Barlow (who also co-stars as Emma), Sissy is a timely exploration of how social media culture and trauma feed off each other. A dynamic lead performance from Aisha Dee (The Nowhere Inn) as Cecilia propels the film through its sudden twists and genre-bending, turning from grisly to wickedly funny in a heartbeat. One of the highlights at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, Sissy never misses an opportunity for a laugh or a gruesome gross-out, delivering a modern spin on Carrie that is as clever as it is unexpected.

Additional support provided by Australian Consulate-General San Francisco