JOHANNA PYYKKÖ is a Swedish director and screenwriter, based in Oslo and working both in Sweden and Norway.

Johanna’s feature film “MY WONDERFUL STRANGER” was produced by renowned Eye Eye Pictures. See the Variety interview here.

“MY WONDERFUL STRANGER” has been granted funding from The Norwegian Film Institute, Arte France, Eurimage and Nordisk Film and TV Fond among others. The film was part of The TIFF Filmmaker Lab (2019, Toronto), the Focus Pro’ pitch at Cannes Film Festival (2019), Semaine de la Critique’s “Next Step Lab” (2020) and it received the pitch award “ARTE Kino International Prize” at MIA Rome (2020).

Other work includes episode director for the Discovery drama series “EFTER FESTEN / NACH”, as well as episode writer on the critically acclaimed drama series “HEIMEBANE” for NRK. Johanna has also been headhunted as a screenwriter for several TV series and feature films in development in the Nordics and has worked for companies like Nordisk Film, Monster, Motlys, Oslo Pictures, Eye Eye, Mer Film and 4 ½.

She has also directed commercials and made a number of successful short films, distributed for TV and shown around the world at prestigious festivals. Her multi-awarded fiction short “THE MANILA LOVER” was screened at several festivals worldwide, e.g. the 58th Semaine de la Critique in 2019 and 42nd Festival International du Court Métrage de Clermont-Ferrand in 2020. THE MANILA LOVER won “Best Short Film” at the Amanda Awards in 2020 (Norwegian Academy Award).

Recently Johanna has been a writer on the Norwegian biopic-series “FAIRYTALES”, in development at 4 ½ and Viaplay. While at the same time developing her upcoming feature film “FULHETEN” produced by Verket Produktion.

Johanna enjoys portraying characters we seldom see in film and tv, creating stories that surprise, entertain and challenge the viewer. Her films are often about identity and the struggle to belong. She works in a wide range of genres such as sci-fi, drama, suspense/mystery, horror, dramedy and comedy – for both young adult and mature audiences.

Johanna holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Film Directing from The Norwegian Film School (2016) and a diploma in screenwriting from Alma Script Academy.

Agent: Gro Janarv

SELECTED WORKS

My Wonderful Stranger - feature (director/co-screenwriter) – 2024
Stone Life - feature (screenwriter) - director Gunhild Enger - in development
Fairytales - drama-series (writer) - in development
1 ÅR 1 DØGN - drama-series (screenwriter) creator Marianne O. Ulrichsen - in development
Fulheten - feature (director/screenwriter) - in development 
Efter festen / Nach - series (episode director) created, written and also directed by Ernst de Geer, and directed by Fanny Ovesen - 2021
Heimebane / Home Ground - series (episode writer) - created by Johan Fasting - 2019
The Manila Lover - short (director/screenwriter) - 2019
My sister dances - short (director/co-screenwriter) - 2019
Thelma - feature (director’s assistant to director Joachim Trier, written by Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt) - 2017
Oslo Traffic - short (director) - 2016
Bevisa Det! - short (director/screenwriter) - 2013
Vi ska plocka Pascal i natt - short (director/screenwriter) - 2011
Lillasyster Fixar Kondomer - short (director/screenwriter) - 2012

Awards & nominations

My Wonderful Stranger
MIA’s Feature Pitch Competition - ARTE Kino International Prize, MIA Rome - 2020

59th Semaine de la Critique, Cannes Film Festival - Shortlist for the Next Step Award - 2020

Toronto International Film Festival - TIFF Fellowship Scholarship Award - 2019

Norwegian International Film Festival, Haugesund, Norway - Honorable Mention at The Scandinavian Debut Pitch Competition - 2017

The Manila Lover
58th Semaine de la Critique, Cannes Film Festival - Short film competition and nominated for Best Short Film – 2019

38th Festival Tous Courts, France - Grand Prize of the Jury - 2020

Amanda Award (Norwegian Academy Award) - Amanda Prize for Best Norwegian Short Film - 2020

REGARD, Festival International Du Court Métrage Au Saguenay - Québec Film Critics Award and Official Competition - 2020

Festival International Du Court Métrage De Clermont-Ferrand - International Competition and nominated for Best Short Film

International screenings and awards:

Festival International Du Court Métrage De Clermont-Ferrand - International Competition
ASPEN SHORTFEST
Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur
Tampere Film Festival
Odense International Film Festival
São Paulo International Short Film Festival
Stockholm Film Festival
Leeds international film festival
Minimalen Short Film Festival - Honorable mention for Best Norwegian Film
Norwegian Short Film Festival - Treje Vigen Award
Hong Kong Arthouse Film Festival - Best Narrative Film
FICBEUE Bueu’s International Short Film Festival - Award for Best Actor

My sister dances
Göteborg (Gothenburg) Film Festival - The Focus program and Official Screening - 2020

15th Lago Film Fest, Italy - International Short Film competition and nominated for Best Short - 2019

Oslo Traffic
Göteborg (Gothenburg) International Film Festival - The Bonnie Scholarship Dragon Award - 2017

Lillasyster Fixar Kondomer
Sveriges Kortfilmsfestival (Sweden’s Short Film Festival) - Best Film Award - 2013

Vi ska plocka Pascal i natt
Venice Film Festival at Your Film Festival, USA - Selected for semifinals and shortlisted - 2012

Stockholm Film Festival - Nomination for 1 km film Scholarship Short Film Award - 2011

MY WONDERFUL STRANGER - TRAILER