Malin Barr is a Swedish writer, director, and actor working between Stockholm and Los Angeles. Her work centres on female-driven stories, she is drawn to exploring human behavior and the awkwardness of being human, where discomfort and tension often slip into dark humor. She is an alumna of the Alma Löv Screenwriting Academy and the Cine Qua Non Writers Lab. Los Angeles.

Malin grew up in Stockholm and began her career as a professional dancer before transitioning into acting, eventually moving into writing and directing. This background continues to shape her work — both in her approach to actors and her visual language, with a focus on rhythm, physicality and the tension, subtext and the unspoken moments between characters.

Her latest short film, SAUNA SICKNESS, a darkly comedic psychological drama about a couple’s romantic New Year’s that spirals into a nightmare when they find themselves locked out, premiered in competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and was subsequently selected for Göteborg Film Festival, SXSW London, and others. The film is represented by Premium Films and has secured distribution with Canal+ and a theatrical release through the 2026 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour, making it Oscar-qualifying.

Barr is currently developing Sauna Sickness into a feature film with [sic] film in Sweden, led by producer Ida Larsson and Siri Hjorton Wagner, and Endangered Species, a New York and Los Angeles-based production company, with producers Alex Bendo and Lexi Preiser. [sic] film is an independent Swedish production company focused on narrative film, with a track record of films screened at festivals including Sundance and Berlinale. Endangered Species focuses on bold, filmmaker-driven work and original storytelling. The project has applied for funding from the Swedish Film Institute and is currently seeking additional financing, producers, and production partners both in Sweden, the U.S., and internationally.

In addition to this project, she is developing several original feature scripts across dark comedy, horror, and thriller genres, and is interested in directing and writing for television and episodic formats.

Her previous short film, Red Flag, a horror-comedy co-directed with Cleo Handler, premiered at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, followed by screenings at FilmQuest (where Barr and Handler were nominated for the Minerva Award), Popcorn Frights, Ravenna Nightmare Film Festival,and Panic Fest. The film is released on Crypt TV in 2026.

Achievements

Alma Löv Screenwriting Academy | 2021–2022

Cine Qua Non Writers Lab | 2023 (with the feature project “See Me”)

Lighthouse Film Festival Women’s Writers Retreat | 2024 (with the feature project “Hell on Earth”)

Linné University | 2020–2021 (Screenwriting for Film & Adaptation)

NYFA, New York | 2013–2015 (Theatre and Musical Professional Training)

Laine Theatre Arts, London | 2011–2013 (Diploma in Musical Theatre & Dance)