Carolina Hellsgård works as a writer and director in Stockholm and Berlin.
After completing a MFA from the Berlin University of Arts in 2007, she received
a DAAD-postgraduate artist grant for Los Angeles, where she studied film directing
and screenwriting at the California Institute of the Arts. Hellsgård's films have
screened and been awarded in numerous venues and film festivals internationally.

During 2008–2011 she developed a short film trilogy, all films revolving around
the lives of people on the outskirts of society. The first short film KARAOKE,
premiered at the Oberhausen Kurzfilmtage, and screened as part of AG Kurzfilm
short film compilation at the Cannes International Film Festival.
The following short film HUNGER, was awarded the prestigious
Jury Special Price at the Festival Internacional de cine Cinema Jove, Spain
as well as at the Belo Horizonte International Film Festival, Brazil.
HJÄLTAR, which concludes the trilogy, will have its premiere at the 62nd Berlinale 2012.

--> catalogue text about the short film trilogy

She is currently developing the feature film SUNBURNED produced by
Silverosa Film in Stockholm.

--> more info

Education

2003–2007 Universität der Künste, Berlin
Master of Fine Arts;
Experimental Film and Media Department
Mentor: Hartmut Bitomsky

1998–2002 University of Stockholm,
Master of Arts with a major in Film Theory and History;
Department of Cinema Studies
& Nordic Languages

Thesis work "Människa och rum" a phenomenlogical approach to
interpreting Roy Andersson's film image.


Grants & Awards

Cast & Cut Stipend / Stiftung Kulturregion Hannover und die nordmedia Fonds
Goldrausch Künstlerinnenprojekt
Swedish Arts Grant Committee, production grant
Sweden-America Foundation, Fellowship grant
DAAD Artist Grant Los Angeles
Jury Special Price, Festival Internacional de cine Cinema Jove, Spain
GWFF Production Award, Regensburger Kurzfilmwoche
1st. Prize, Short film category, Konstanzer Filmfestival
Short Subject Prize, FIAAP Festival, Portugal
1-year working stipend (Nafög) UdK, Berlin
Künstlerinnenförderung, production grant from Berliner Senat
Berlinale Talent Campus 2008, shortlisted for the BTA-award
Young Professional Program, Robert Bosch Stiftung
CESTA, Artist residency, Czech Republic
Erasmus Stipend


Filmfestivals & Exhibitions

2010-11
Mindpirates, Berlin
Cinemigrante, Argentina
LOCALIZE Das Heimatfestival, Berlin
Kikimikeoderduke, Dresden 
Aguilar de Campoo, Spanien
Corto Tokyo, Japan
Kuala Lumpur International Film Festival, Malasyia
Les Laboratoires d'Aubervilliers, Paris
Firemuseum, Philadelphia
Zagreb Film Festival, Croatia
Konstanzer Kurzfilmspiele
Belo Horizonte International Short Film Festival, Brazil
Festival Silhouette, Paris
Festival Internacional de cine Cinema Jove, Spain
Alpinale Film Festival, Austria
Manchester European Short Film Festival, UK
Ambulart 2010, Guadalajara/Mexico
MIT European Short Film Festival, USA
Stuttgarter Filmwinter, Germany
Glasgow Film Festival, UK
Psarokokalo International Short Film Festival of Athens, Greece
Volksbühne Filmbühne im Prater, Berlin

2009
Kino Arsenal, Künstlerinnenprogramm
Rio de Janeiro International Short film Festival, Brazil
Courts Devant, Paris, France
Braunschweig International Film Festival, Germany
Cinemagic International Film Festival, Northern Ireland
Leeds International Film Festival, UK
Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival, Ukraine
Thai Short Film and Video Festival, Thailand
Shnit Kurzfilmfestival, Switzerland
Goethe Institute, Montevideo, Uruguay
Filmfest Weiterstadt, Germany
Huesca Film Festival, Spain
REDCAT, Los Angeles, US
Hong Kong Art Center, "Trace and Chase", China
Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, Germany
Glasgow Film Festival, UK

2008
Regensburger Kurzfilmwoche, Germany
Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, Germany
German Shortfilm Corner Cannes, France
Brooklyn International Filmfestival, US
MIT European Short Film Festival, US
Circuito Off Venice International Short Film Festival, Italy
FIAAP, Portugal
Raindance Film Festival, UK
L'Alternativa, Barcelona Independent Film Festival, Spain
FILMZ - Festival des deutschen Kinos, Germany
Konstanzer kurz.film.spiele, Germany

2006–07
GoEast Filmfestival, Wiesbaden
Emergeandsee Berlin
"Neue Berliner Filme" Kino Babylon Mitte
ANONIMUL IFF, Romania
Lucania Film Festival, Italy
Hull International Short Film Festival, UK
Leeds International Film Festival, UK
Zinebi Short Filmfestival, Spain
Shortescape Barcelona, Spain
Badgoodgirl Filmfestival, Berlin

2003–05
DiaProjekt Café EUROPA - Berlin
Augenblick – Raum für Gegenwartskunst, Berlin
ZoomOut Film and Video Festival, Berlin
Knoth&Krüger, Berlin
Vodoo Gallery, Berlin
Flyvsk Galleri, Copenhagen
Bad Vibrations, Berlin - »Shortfilm block.05«
C.E.S.T.A, Tabor – »Total Recall«, »Peripheral Vision«
DR 2 [Danish TV]
Mudd Club, Berlin