Johanna Pyykkö is a Swedish director and screenwriter based in Oslo, working across Sweden and Norway. She holds a bachelor’s degree in film directing from the Norwegian Film School (2016) and a diploma in screenwriting from Alma Script Academy.
Johanna’s feature film My Wonderful Stranger (2024)was granted funding by the Norwegian Film Institute, Arte France, Eurimages and Nordisk Film & TV Fond, among others. Her other work includes serving as an episode director of the Discovery drama series Efter festen / Nach (2021), as well as episode writer for the critically acclaimed drama series Heimebane / Home Ground (2019) for NRK. Johanna has also been headhunted as a screenwriter for several TV series and feature films in development across the Nordics, and has worked with companies such as 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 award-winning fiction short film The Manila Lover (2019) was screened at several festivals worldwide. It won Best Short Film at the Amanda Awards in 2020 (the Norwegian Academy Award).
Recently, Johanna served as a writer for the Norwegian biopic series Fairytales, while simultaneously developing her upcoming feature film Fulheten, produced by Verket Produktion.
Johanna enjoys portraying characters seldom seen 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 across a wide range of genres such as sci-fi, drama, suspense, mystery, horror, dramedy and comedy – for both young adult and mature audiences.
Stone Life - feature (screenwriter) - in development Fairytales - drama series (writer) - in development 1 ÅR 1 DØGN - drama-series (screenwriter) - in development Fulheten - feature (director/screenwriter) - in development My Wonderful Stranger - feature (director/co-screenwriter) - 2024 Efter festen / Nach - series (episode director) - 2021 Heimebane / Home Ground - series (episode writer) - 2019 The Manila Lover - short (director/screenwriter) - 2019 My sister dances - short (director/co-screenwriter) - 2019 Thelma - feature (director’s assistant) - 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 (the 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 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
