Playmaker will be responsible for international sales for Sonya Maria Kroner’s family adventure film Horse on a Stick, which will premiere at the Cannes Film Market.
The film, released in German theaters on April 23 and distributed by Port-au-Prince, was produced by Lieblingsfilm, whose previous comedy, Extrawurst, was Germany’s most successful box office success so far this year, grossing $21.9 million from 1.9 million admissions.
“Horse on a Stick” is based on real-life hobby horse racing in Finland, a competitive tournament in which teenagers compete in dressage and show jumping on hand-crafted hobby horses.
The film tells the story of Sarah, a 13-year-old from Munich who discovers her passion for horse racing. In search of trophies, she and Beatrice, also 13, travel to Finland to compete in the Hobby Horse Championships.
“‘Horse on a Stick’ is a fun, wonderful and empowering story of adventure and friendship about finding yourself and sticking to it no matter what,” said Ramona Sale, Head of Acquisitions at The Playmakers.
“When I first heard screenwriter Gerlind Becker’s pitch for ‘Horse on a Stick,’ I knew right away that this would be a fascinating story closely tied to the everyday lives of the children in question,” said producer Philipp Budweg.
Playmaker said the film has a universal message: passion and friendship transcend one’s place of origin. The lead character has been documenting her journey on social media, and the film’s “TikTok-friendly subject matter makes it a story that speaks directly to today’s generation,” the company added.
“Horse on a Stick” was photographed by DOP Julia Daschner. Principal filming took place in Munich and Lithuania, and the film’s championship scenes were shot in Finland. The film’s music was composed by Inéz and Demian Kappenstein, the duo behind German electronic indie artist Ätna. The film stars Manon Debaille, Chiara Kitsopoulou, and Aurelia Ott.
“Horse on a Stick” is produced by Lieblingsfilm’s Budweg in co-production with ZDF and KiKA. The production was supported and financed by FFF Bayern, MDM Mittel, German Medical Association, Hesse Film & Median, BKM, Kratorium Jünger Deutscher Film, FFA and DFFF.
