Oscar nominated Swedes.

Congratulations to a hard-working Paul Ottosson, who was awarded two Ocars at the 2010 Oscars!  

  • Patrik Eklund's film “Istället för abracadabra” (“Instead of Abracadabra”) has been Oscar nominated in the “Best live action short film” category.
  • Patrik Eklund’s film “Istället för abracadabra” (“Instead of Abracadabra”) was Oscar nominated as well as Paul Ottoson, who was nominated in two categories: “Best sound mixing” and “Best sound design” for his work on the film “The Hurt Locker” Ottosson won in both nominated categories while the “Best live action" short film went to "The New Tenants" by Danish team Jonathan Back and Tivi Magnusson.

  • Patrik Eklund has Oscar dreams: “I feel warm all over, and that must be a good sign. I am surprised but very happy.”
  • And the winner is…
    OSCAR, the world’s most prestigious movie award, was never given to Greta Garbo, the greatest screen legend of them all. But Sweden’s second great star, Ingrid Bergman, on the other hand received a record three, one short of Katherine Hepburn. She scored for Gaslight in 1944, Anastasia in 1954, and as supporting actress in Murder on the Orient Express. No, she never received one for Casablanca.
    This year, Patrik Eklund’s film “Istället för abracadabra” (“Instead of Abracadabra”) was Oscar nominated in the “Best live action short film” category. “Instead of Abracadabra” picked up the 2008 Startsladden prize and was nominated for a Swedish Guldbagge award. The film was also in competition at last year’s Sundance Festival to wide critical acclaim. “It’s unbelievable,” said Patrik Eklund about the Oscar nod. “I feel warm all over, and that must be a good sign. I am surprised but very happy.” Another Swede could be found among the nominees, and that was Paul Ottosson, who has lived and worked in the US for over 20 years. Ottoson was nominated in two categories: “Best sound mixing” and “Best sound design” for his work on the film “The Hurt Locker” by Kathryn Bigelow. The film was also nominated in the category “Best picture”.

  • A scene from Ekelund's film “Instead of Abracadabra”
  • Back to back Academy Awards for Paul Ottosson
    His dream of being a rock star was the starting point that lead a Swedish boy from Hässleholm to stand on the Academy Awards stage and win two Oscars. But instead of winning for his musical talents, he won for sound editing and mixing. For the movie "Hurt Locker," Paul Ottosson received the 2010 Oscar for Best Sound Editing and had hardly left the stage before he was called back, along with co-winner Ray Beckett, to receive another Oscar from the 82nd Academy Awards ceremony for Best Sound Mixing.

  • Paul Ottosson and wife Karen Han photographed in LA by Kerstin Alm.
  • After he finished school in the mid-sized town in northern Skåne in 1987, Ottosson and his buddies traveled to Los Angeles and had visions of being a hit with their rock and roll band. Failing at this, his friends returned home, but Ottosson met an American girl and remained in Hollywood.
    Starting in 1992, in a recording studio job working with commercials and music videos, Ottosson's career soared rapidly. Within five years, he won the top television broadcasting award, the Emmy, for his sound work on "Rats" in the series, "National Geographic Explorer." Following this, his sound mixing and editing talents have been seen on "The Scorpion King" (2002), "S.W.A.T" (2003) and "Spider Man 2" (2004). He had previously received nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and also BAFTA for his work as supervising sound editor and sound designer on "Spider Man 2."
    In related Oscar news, the Swedish motion picture, "Involuntary" ("De Ofrivilliga"), selected as a candidate for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, fell short of the final cut to a handful of candidates. The film, released in 2008, has won awards at film festivals in Brussels, Miami, Milan and Stockholm.

  • Other Swedish winners
    The Master of Light, cinematographer Sven Nykvist, received two Oscars for his work in Fanny and Alexander in 1976 and for Sleepless in Seattle in 1986. Ingmar Bergman won a best foreign Oscar for Fanny and Alexander, and Lasse Hallström did so for My Life as a Dog.
    Per Hallberg took his second Oscar as supervising sound editor in 2007 for The Bourne Ultimatum. He received the first in 1995 for Braveheart.
    Lasse Hallström has a unique record of guiding five actors to Oscar nominations. The one winner was Michael Caine in the Cider House Rules, 1999.
    Gloria Swanson lost her bid for an Oscar for Sunset Boulevard, surprisingly to Judy Holliday. Ann Margret was nominated for Carnal Knowledge in 1970 and for the rock opera Tommy in 1975, but did not win.
    The 2010 Oscars takes place on March 7. More info: www.oscar.go.com