Bella Ramsey’s Sunny Dancer opens Berlinale’s Generation 14plus with a cancer-remission summer-camp story

Bella Ramsey’s new film Sunny Dancer made its world premiere at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, where it opened the Generation 14plus programme.

The festival’s official listing describes the film as a “heart-opening, genre-savvy comedy” and places it in the youth-focused section that screens films for teen audiences.

The film centers on Ivy, a 17-year-old who has beaten cancer and is sent to a summer camp for teens with similar experiences. The Berlinale synopsis says, “After 17-year-old Ivy beats cancer, she can't think of anything worse than becoming a Make-A-Wish kid.”

That setup drives the story into coming-of-age territory, with the official materials framing it as a mix of comedy and emotional recovery rather than a straightforward illness drama.

Sunny Dancer is written and directed by George Jaques, listed in the festival programme as a 106-minute UK feature.

The official cast list includes Bella Ramsey, Neil Patrick Harris, James Norton, Jessica Gunning, Ruby Stokes, Conrad Khan, Jasmine Elcock and Daniel Quinn-Toye.

Festival materials also note that the film opens Generation 14plus, which puts it among the Berlinale titles aimed at younger viewers and young-adult audiences.

Berlinale’s press photo feed and programme pages show Bella Ramsey (best known for her roles as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones and as Ellie in The Last of Us) at the film’s photocall and red-carpet premiere in Berlin, underscoring the project’s festival launch rather than a commercial rollout.

The official materials reviewed for the film do not list a wider release date.