Helium on Oscar shortlist

OSCAR SHORTLIST. "Helium" by Anders Walter is among the ten live action short films picked to enter the race for an Academy Award nomination.

Anders Walter's "Helium", produced by Kim Magnusson for M&M Productions, came closer to an Oscar nomination as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled the semi-finalists for the Oscar in the Live Action Short category.

"It is simply amazing. I've made three films as a director, and two of them have been shortlisted for an Oscar," says a pleased Anders Walter.

Last year, Anders Walter was shortlisted for "9 Meter", also produced by M&M Productions, but by Tivi Magnusson, Kim Magnusson's father and the founder of the company. In recent years, M&M Productions has been a regular in the Oscar race with nine films making it to the shortlist in the Live Action Short category. In total, six films moved forward to the nomination round, and the company has won the Oscar three times – for the films "Election Night" in 1999, "This Charming Man" in 2003, and "The New Tenants" in 2010. 

Helium by Anders Walter

"Helium" is the story of the young boy Alfred who is seriously ill in the hospital. He becomes good friends with the eccentric cleaning man Enzo and together they develop a magical fantasy world named Helium.

Anders Walter has worked as an illustrator and comic book artist since the age of 17. He has directed music videos for Scandinavian artists.

"Helium" is scripted by Anders Walter and Christian Gamst Miller-Harris based on an idea by Anders Walter.

The names of the three or five short films that will make it to the final round of Oscar nominations will be announced on 16 January.

More Oscar

Earlier in November, Michelle Kranot and Uri Kranot's Danish-produced "Hollow Land" was shortlisted for an Oscar in the Animated Short Film category. The film is produced by Marie Bro for Dansk Tegnefilm in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada and Les Films de l'Arlequin of France.

Finally, Thomas Vinterberg's "The Hunt" starring Mads Mikkelsen is Denmark's candidate to run in the nomination race for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. Final nominees will be announced by the Oscar committee on 16 January.

Oscar Night on 2 March 2014