Bio: Laerke Herthoni (b.1988) is a Danish director and screenwriter based in Stockholm, Sweden. She started out directing music videos at the early age of twenty-three and later on became one of Sweden's most awarded directors in advertising. Her work has been prized with many international prestigious awards such as Cannes Lions and Eurobest. In 2020 she directed her first short Alba starring actress Aliette Opheim, which was selected and premiered at the Gothenburg film festival. In the year that followed Herthoni was chosen for Film Stockholm's debutant program, where she was one of three selected directors given the opportunity to develop their first feature film. In 2023 Herthoni's short film Surprise starring Cannes Best Actress Award-winner Pernilla August and Rolf Lassgård was nominated for Best Swedish Short at the Gothenburg film festival.