FLX-SF Studios board Sanna Lenken’s 'Comedy Queen'

After her acclaimed debut feature My Skinny Sister and the SVT drama series Thin Blue Line - nominated for the 2021 Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize - Sanna Lenken will turn to the heart-warming feature film Comedy Queen which starts filming May 4 in Gothenburg and Stockholm.

Jägelfeld’s novel, sold to nearly 20 territories, won the Children’s Book 2018-Swedish Radio’s Children’s Book Award and was nominated for the August Prize 2018. Linn Gottfridsson (Beartown, Glowing Stars) has written the screen adaptation.

The main protagonist Sasha (13) wants nothing more than to become a stand-up comedian. She wants to make everyone laugh, especially her father who cries in the shower when he thinks no one is listening. Behind her eyes, the life-threatening tears also burn on Sasha, but she refuses to mourn her mother, who has passed away. She secretly writes a list of everything she has to do to survive-shave her hair, stop reading books, say no to the world's cutest puppy and above all, become a Comedy Queen!

“I am drawn to this type of story that has a serious background, but is told with humour and warmth. It is a different survival story that touches the audience and gives comfort and hope!”, said Lenken.

In the title roles are Sigrid Johnson (Maria Wern, Tusen år till julafton) as Sacha, Oscar Töringe (Thin Blue Line) as her father Abbe, and newcomer Ellen Taure as Sash’s best friend.

The film is produced by FLX’s Rebecka Lafrenz (Bert’s Diary, Sebbe) and Anna Anthony (Jalla Jalla, Becoming Astrid), with Joshua Mehr and Pontus Edgren serving as executive producers and co-produced by Film i Väst, SF Studios and SVT, with support from the Swedish Film Institute.

SF Studios will handle the distribution across the Nordics and REInvent International Sales global sales.

The domestic premiere is set for the spring 2022.