# Mikael Södersten

Mikael Södersten (born May 6, 1961, in Stockholm, Sweden) is a screenwriter, writer, director, script doctor, and film editor. As a script-developer, he has worked on over 90 film and television projects in Europe and Sweden.

## Early life and education

Mikael Södersten grew up on the island of Lidingö outside Stockholm, Sweden, and went to The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey, USA, for his final year of high school. He studied film theory at Stockholm University and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a BA in Visual and Environmental Studies and Psychology. He also studied acting under Larry Moss and Melissa Leo in New York City.

## Career
### Film and television

Södersten has directed and written two novella-length films, Pass (starring Michael Nyqvist) and Fissura, both broadcast on Swedish National Television. As co-founder of Wilderness Films with Cornelia Ravenal, he has directed award-winning shorts including The Other Woman, White Mans Blue's, and Five Feelings About Food. These films have collectively screened at over 25 international festivals, winning five "Best" awards.
In addition to directing, Södersten has worked as a producer and co-editor on the feature documentary Moving Stories – Life Transformed by Dance, which premiered at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) screening at more than 40 international film festivals before its release on Amazon Prime.
As a script consultant, he has worked on several films, including Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Let the Right One In, and The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. He has also worked closely on the scripts for numerous TV-series, including SVT’s The Detective from Beledweyne and Netflix’s The Helicopter Heist.

### Writing and adaptations

Södersten's writing work spans the thriller, drama, and comedy genres. He co-wrote I Love You: A Divorce Comedy which premiered nationwide in Sweden, and a TV mini-series about Raoul Wallenberg with director Johan Brisinger. Södersten also adapted Astrid Lindgren's classic novel The Brothers Lionheart for Tomas Alfredson, and Jonas Karlsson's novel Stockholm Stories for Karin Fahlén.

### Teaching and consulting

Since 2014, Södersten has taught Directing Actors at Columbia University's Graduate Film Program. He has also taught story structure at the Swedish Royal Academy of Fine Arts. From 2006 to 2009, he served as Senior Script Consultant at the Swedish Film Institute, where he was involved in developing over 25 films, including King of Ping Pong, which won the 2008 Sundance World Cinema Grand Jury Prize.
Södersten has collaborated closely with internationally celebrated directors such as Lasse Hallström, Thomas Vinterberg, Pernilla August, and Daniel Espinosa. His script consulting projects include Borg vs. McEnroe starring Shia LaBeouf, Euphoria starring Alicia Vikander, and Mother Couch starring Ewan McGregor, Ellen Burstyn, and Taylor Russell.
At the Gothenburg Film Festival, he chaired Swedish Film Day, programming over 100 Swedish features and shorts annually.

### Additional projects

As co-founder of Wilderness Films with Cornelia Ravenal, Södersten has developed original scripts and TV series in collaboration with partners such as Charlie Wessler (Green Book), Lars von Trier's Zentropa, and Sweden's SF Studios. Currently, they are developing a graphic novel based on their original sports-thriller screenplay On The Blade.

## Personal life

Södersten resides with his wife Cornelia Ravenal in New York City. He was born into a family with a rich musical heritage. His father Gunno Södersten and his grandfather Axel Södersten were prominent composers, organists, and conductors.

## Selected filmography

* Helicopter Heist (2024) – dramaturg
* Moving Stories (2018) – producer, editor
* The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (2013) – script consultant
* I Love You: A Divorce Comedy (2016) – writer
* The Other Woman (2007) – director
* White Man's Blues (2006) – director
* Fissura (2005) – director
* Five Feelings About Food (2005) – director
* Pass (2002) – director

## Awards

* 2008 Honorable Mention, Best Narrative Short for The Other Woman, Ojai Film Festival
* 2018 Best Documentary for Moving Stories, Chesapeake Film Festival
* 2019 Chita Rivera Award for Best Documentary for Moving Stories