MARIA NYGREN is a screenwriter, director and author educated in Screenwriting at the Stockholm School of Fine Arts. After graduating Maria won the Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s screenwriting prize at Nordic Talent. In 2012 her debut short “Kiruna Kigali” was shortlisted for an Oscar, the film was directed by Goran Kapetanovic.
Maria’s latest work include season 2 of “Meningen med livet / The Meaning of Life”, as creator, head writer and episode director, together with Tove Eriksen Hillblom, now in post production for Viaplay. Maria and Tove previously created and wrote the “Meningen med livet/The Meaning of Life” season 1, produced by FLX and premiered in 2022 at Viaplay. The show features cast Celie Sparre, Ulf Stenberg and Helena af Sandeberg.
Apart from that, Maria is in development with two tv series, as head writer in both projects, more information to come.
She has also worked as a screenwriter for the tv series “Vi i villa/Suburbia” for Discovery, “Fartblinda/Blinded” for TV4 CMORE, “Kärlek och anarki/Love & Anarchy” for Netflix and “Vuxna människor/Adult behavior” for TV4 CMORE.
Maria moves freely between genres – she both writes for the screen and novels. She is interested in protagonists who urge after something beyond themselves. Maria often finds that as humans we get stuck in a limited reality, with gravity holding us down. She gladly lets her characters struggle to break free. Maria enjoys the search for experiences made to feel true through a radical set of events – whether it be thriller, drama or comedy.
Agent: Elin Sandström Lundh
SELECTED WORKS
Meningen med livet säsong 2 / The Meaning of Life season 2 - series (creator, head writer & director) - 2025
Meningen med livet / The Meaning of Life - series (creator and head writer) - 2022
Vuxna människor - series (episode writer) - 2022
Vi i villa / Suburbia - series (storyline and episode writer) - 2022
Love & Anarchy season 2 / Kärlek och anarki - series (episode writer) - 2022
Blinded season 2 / Fartblinda - series (storyline and episode writer) - 2022
Advokaten / The Lawyer season 2 - series (episode writer) - 2020
Fjärde riket / Fourth Kingdom - easy-to-read version (writer) - novel - 2020
Hemligheternas bok / The Book of Secrets (writer) - novel - 2019
Advokaten / The Lawyer season 1 - series (episode writer) - 2018
Tjockare än vatten / Thicker Than Water - series (episode writer) - 2018
Feberfågel / Fever Bird (writer) - novel - 2015
Miriam om natten (writer) - novel - 2014
Fjärde riket / Fourth Kingdom (writer) - novel - 2013
100 meter lycka (writer) - novel - 2006
Awards & nominations
Meningen med livet
Nominated to Best comedy show as Kristallen - 2023
Kärlek och Anarki season 2
Nominated to Best comedy show as Kristallen - 2023
Vuxna människor
Nominated to Best comedy show as Kristallen - 2023
Vi i villa / Modern Life is Rubbish
Kristallen (Swedish Emmy) - Nominated for comedy & humor of the year and male Actor of the Year - 2022
Göteborg Film Festival - Nominated for the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize - 2022
The Swedish Humor Prize - Nominated for comedy of the year - 2022
Advokaten / The Lawyer season 1
Göteborg Film Festival - Nominated for the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize - 2018
Feberfågel / Fever Bird
Crimetime Specsavers Award - Best Crime Debut - 2016
Kiruna Kigali
Shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Short Film - 2012
Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s screenwriting prize Nordic Talent - 2012
Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s screenwriting prize
Nordic Talent (for the feature film script “100 meter lycka”) - 2006
