Whether you prefer Lemonades, Thin Mints, or Samoas, Cookie Queens will delight you as it follows entrepreneurial Girl Scouts working to sell enough cookies to reach their goals.
Olive, who is already a record-breaking seller, moves her goal line back each time she meets a target. Shannon Elizabeth, a martial artist when not selling, hopes to sell enough to go to Girl Scouts camp. Nikki, who admires her older Girl Scout sisters Nala and Naya, wants to sell enough for a trip to Europe. While other girls hope to sell in the thousands, Ara, who is 5 years old, is just learning what it means to be an entrepreneur with a goal of 55 boxes.
The film follows the girls and their families through each week of cookie-selling season.
We see the pressure the kids are under from their troops, their families, and themselves. We see how cookie selling is a family commitment, with parents buying inventory before selling. And we see how the girls begin to advocate for themselves, posing questions like: Is enough money going back to the troops? Shouldn’t there be sugar-free cookies for people with diabetes?
Cookie Queens doesn’t just follow the girls through cookie sales. Viewers are treated to personality-revealing moments, like Ara taste testing cookies with her stuffed elephant, Olive preparing other Girl Scouts to begin their selling adventures, Shannon Elizabeth’s joy over breaking a board, and Nikki being proud to wear her older sister’s jacket. It’s a look into the experiences so many girls have during their time on a troop. It’s a great addition to Sundance and the Family Matinee section.
Want more? We recently spoke with director Alysa Nahmias about the film. Additionally, Sundance contributor Caitlyn Homoyla wrote about what Cookie Queens says about girlhood today.
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