Poster ©capelight pictures Ivy has already survived. Now it’s time to really come back to life. That’s why her parents send their almost 18-year-old daughter to a summer camp for young people recovering from cancer. But Ivy is adamant she won’t have any fun at ‘Chemo Camp’. Until she meets Jake.

Down-to-earth, loud with subtle undertones, sometimes cringe-worthy, sometimes cynical, but mostly life-affirming, ‘Sunny Dancer’ tugs at the heartstrings just as much as ‘Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ by the Scissor Sisters gets your hips moving. It’s also perfectly cast, with the androgynous and enthusiastically headstrong Bella Ramsey in the lead role.

Bella Ramsey

Image ©Colin J Smith SUNNY DANCER Distribution Limited Bella Ramsey defies all stereotypes, whether in terms of age or gender. She made a lasting impression on viewers right from her first appearance in 2016 as Lyanna Mormont in the series “Game of Thrones” (2011–2019). To this end, the English actress, born in Nottingham in 2003, attended a specialised television workshop where she was able to develop her on-screen presence. She is continuing to build on this in the post-apocalyptic series “The Last of Us” (2023–) and in her big-screen debut in “Catherine, Lady Against Her Will” (2022). Ramsey identifies as non-binary.

Jane Schoenbrun

Image ©MUBI It is probably no exaggeration to say that director Jane Schoenbrun has a soft spot for the horror genre. This is evident from the first two feature films by the filmmaker, who was born in New York City in 1987: her 2021 feature debut, *We’re All Going to the World’s Fair*, as well as *I Saw the TV Glow* (2024). In her third feature film, “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma”, too, the fictional narrative blurs with a playfully incisive analysis of the genre. Autobiographical elements – such as experiences on the internet, with TV series and various types of gummy bears – are woven into the narrative almost as an afterthought.

Poster ©Netflix Stand-up comedian Ricky Gervais is the creator and lead character of the British series *The Office*, on which *Stromberg* is based. He is also responsible for the darkly humorous series “Extras” (2005) and “After Life” (2019), as well as his sharp-tongued hosting of the Golden Globes from 2010 until his sacking in 2020. This year also saw the passing of his beloved cat Ollie, which made headlines in the British press. With the six episodes of the animated series “Alley Cats”, Gervais is fulfilling a dream for both himself and his fans by combining his trademark witty profanities with the body of a fat cat.

©Adrift “Adrift” is one of those quiet corners of the World Wide Web that you stumble upon by chance and which invite you to reflect. Here, you can write down your doubts and hopes in life and fold them into little white paper boats, which then drift on a sea of black waves. Although the site is in English, you can leave messages there in any language, real or imagined. And you can click on other people’s little boats and read them. Many of the worries and hopes expressed will strike a familiar chord.