One of America’s most beloved rituals is put under the microscope in this Sundance Film Festival premiere
NEED TO KNOW
- Cookie Queens, a documentary about the Girls Scouts of the USA, is in theaters Aug. 8
- A new trailer for the Alysa Nahmias-directed film shows subjects Olive, Nikki, Shannon Elizabeth and Ara taking on the challenge of selling the iconic cookies
- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are among the film’s executive producers
Four of the hardest-working Girls Scouts in America take center stage in a new documentary about everyone’s favorite season: cookie season, of course.
Director Alysa Nahmias’ Cookie Queens, which counts Meghan Markle and Prince Harry among its executive producers, is in theaters Aug. 8. A new trailer for the doc shows adorable glimpses of budding entrepreneurs Olive, Nikki, Shannon Elizabeth and Ara in action.
Each of the subjects set their own goals for how many boxes of the iconic cookies to sell, facing distinct challenges and successes. An official synopsis states, "A celebration of girlhood and its complexities, Cookie Queens is a coming-of-age story that explores the joys, pressures, and tensions woven into one of America’s most cherished rituals: Girl Scouts of the USA cookie season.”
Credit: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions
The documentary delighted audiences at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival where it premiered on Jan. 25. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first-ever appearance at the fest to help introduce the film.
Meghan, 44, said at the premiere that on behalf of herself, Harry, 41, and their company Archewell Productions, they were “so proud and privileged to help support and uplift” the doc.
“Yes, it’s probably the cutest film at the festival,” she added. “But I’m also going to go out on a limb and say it’s one of the most powerful and meaningful depictions of an American tradition."
Cookie Queens is also produced by Gregory Kershaw, Michael Dweck and Jennifer Sims. When it was announced in March that Roadside Attractions was distributing the film in theaters, Nahmias said in a statement that the film “became a fascinating lens to explore a story about girlhood — the ambition, resilience, humor, and vulnerability that emerge as these girls navigate growing up in a world shaped by the tensions between community and capitalism.”
Credit: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions
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Cookie Queens is in theaters Aug. 8.
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