MALIN INGRID JOHANSSON IS A NEW LITTLE MINX DIRECTOR

Malin Ingrid Johansson has joined Little Minx, a 2022 and 2024 AdAge A-List Production Company Standout, for commercial representation in the U.S. Johansson’s work includes an acclaimed new spot for Hinge, “The Moment I Knew” via agency Birthday, featuring young people ditching the dating app after finding true love. Her latest short film, Deck 5b made its North American premiere at TIFF where it won the Best International Film Short Cuts Award. This on the heels of her short Madden (2023), which is enjoying a successful festival run with honors so far at AFI, Oscar-qualifying Uppsala and Göteborg.

Swedish native Johansson got her start as a photographer and music video director before becoming a commercial director at Stockholm-based PINE. Her short films, along with commercials for brands including H&M, IKEA, Lindex, Happy Socks and others, explore the complexity of being human in a relatable way, by leaving space for viewers to see themselves in the characters on screen.

“Malin took me by surprise,” said Little Minx Founder and President Rhea Scott. “‘Powerful yet understated’ is my favorite combo, and you can see this in all of Malin’s narrative work—commercial and passion projects alike. But there’s quirkiness to her vision that really sets her apart. I’m telling you, this woman has an eye for the strange and beautiful particularities that make us human. She’s also just an incredibly committed artist. She listens. She works hard. She’s precise. I can feel enormous potential in her.”

“Rhea and Helen are a powerful team in the industry, and I’m so excited to land at Little Minx for my first commercial representation in the states,” Johannson said. “I love the Little Minx talent roster, and the company’s capability and success making both commercials and narrative films. The fact that Rhea produced an Oscar-winning short film, Logorama, also was inspiring.”

Johansson turns to real life for inspiration in her work, making her characters come alive with detail and nuance. For instance, Hinge’s “The Moment I Knew” was crafted from real couples’ histories and grounded in reality with a cast of real-life couples and non-actors. The story for her latest short, Deck 5b, was something she observed when she was taking the ferry from Stockholm to the Swedish island of Fårö, coincidentally the setting of many films from someone whose work she admires and has studied closely, legendary Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. Her award-winning short Madden, is a coming of age story based on her own childhood. The heart of the story is about loving something that also limits you, as portrayed by a teenage rebel who carries a large responsibility for the collective life on her family’s farm.

At Little Minx, Johansson hopes to continue directing both commercials and long-form content. “I want to make work where people can see themselves with quirkiness and have the freedom to not take themselves too seriously,” she said. “Of course, it would be nice to make a Super Bowl commercial. I’m aiming high.”