The Playmaker Boards Sales for ‘Horse on a Stick,’ Lieblingsfilm’s Follow Up to German Hit ‘Extrawurst’ (EXCLUSIVE)

The Playmaker has saddled up to handle international sales duties for Sonja Maria Kröner’s family adventure film “Horse on a Stick,” which will have its market premiere at Cannes Film Market.

The film, which opens in German theaters on April 23, distributed by Port au Prince, is produced by Lieblingsfilm, whose previous production, comedy “Extrawurst,” is Germany’s most successful box office release of this year so far, with a $21.9 million gross from 1.9 million admissions.

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“Horse on a Stick” is based on the real-life Finnish phenomenon of hobby horsing: competitive tournaments in which teenagers perform dressage and show jumping routines on handmade hobby horses.

The film follows 13-year-old Sarah from Munich, who discovers her passion for hobby horsing. In the hunt for a trophy, she travels to Finland with Beatrice, also 13, to compete in the Hobby Horse Championship.

“’Horse on a Stick’ is a fun, lovely, and empowering adventure and friendship story about finding yourself and sticking to it no matter what,” Ramona Sehr, head of acquisitions at The Playmaker, said.

“When I first heard screenwriter Gerlind Becker’s pitch for ‘Horse on a Stick,’ I knew straight away this would be an enchanting story closely tied to the everyday lives of the children’s target audience,” producer Philipp Budweg said.

The Playmaker said the film carries a universal message: passion and friendship transcend where you come from. Its protagonist documents her journey on social media, and the film’s “TikTok-ready subject matter makes it a story that speaks directly to today’s generation,” the company added.

“Horse on a Stick” is shot by DOP Julia Daschner. Principal photography took place in Munich and Lithuania, with the film’s championship sequences set in Finland. The film’s score was composed by Inéz and Demian Kappenstein, the duo behind German electronic-indie act Ätna. The film stars Manon Debaille, Chiara Kitsopoulou and Aurelia Ott.

“Horse on a Stick” is produced by Budweg for Lieblingsfilm in co-production with ZDF and KiKA. The production was supported and funded by FFF Bayern, MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Hessenfilm & Medien, BKM, Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film, FFA and DFFF.