ström pictures is an international documentary and feature film production company based in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was founded in 2022 by Producer and CEO Monica Hellström. Monica is a three-time Oscar® nominee for producing Flee (nominated Best Documentary Feature and Best Animated Feature 2022) and A House Made of Splinters (nominated Best Documentary Feature 2023). She’s a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and The European Film Academy. She was selected for Producer on the Move, Cannes (2020). She’s an Alumni of EAVE Workshop (2010) and a participant of ACE 2023, and holds an MA in film from the University of Copenhagen (DK) and a BA in film from the University of Bedfordshire (UK). Before starting Ström Pictures she was a producer at Final Cut for Real for twelve years, since 2010. She served as a jury for the World Cinema Documentary competition for Sundance Film Festival in 2024 and sitting on the board of the Copenhagen based Film Workshop.
Monica’s most recent titles as producer (at Final Cut for Real) includes being the lead producer on the Sundance winning, Cannes official selection and 3-time Oscar and BAFTA nominated animated documentary FLEE (2021) by Jonas Poher Rasmussen. A House Made of Splinters (2022) by Simon Lereng Wilmont, which was Oscar nominated for Best documentary, won best direction (documentary) at Sundance Film Festival, best Nordic documentary at the Gothenburg Film Festival and Politiken DOX at CPH:DOX. The Distant Barking of Dogs (2017) also by Simon Lereng Wilmont, which won over 40 international prizes including Cinema Eye, Gothenburg Film Festival (best doc) and Peabody, as well as being nominated for the European Film Awards and shortlisted for best documentary at the 2019 Academy Awards. He’s My Brother (2020) by Cille Hannibal and co-directed by Christine Hanberg which was selected for the 35th Season Lineup at POV, and numerous festivals across Europe. The film also received a nomination for best Danish TV documentary. As co-producer, Monica Hellström has supported several renowned international projects, including Boy from Heaven (2022) which was selected for competition at the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival (won best screenplay Cannes 2022) and The Nile Hilton Incident (also known as ‘Cairo Confidential’) winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic at Sundance in 2017 and Little Girl – Sebastien Lifshitz (AGAT Films, France, 2020)
PRODUCED
A House Made of Splinters by Simon Lereng Wilmont (2022) , which won best direction (documentary) at Sundance Film Festival, best Nordic documentary at the Gothenburg Film Festival and Politiken DOX at CPH:DOX.
HE’S MY BROTHER – by Cille Hannibal and co-directed by Christine Hanberg (2021), awarded a special mention at CPH:DOX 2021 and Dox:Münich 2021.
FLEE – Jonas Poher Rasmussen (2020) – Lead producer. Winner of Sundance World documentary award 2021, selected for Cannes 2020, winner of Best Nordic Dox at Gothenburg 2021 and the audience award at Vision Du Reel. winner of The Gra Foundation & The Cristal Prize at Annecy 2021, Grand Prix Millennium Award, winner of Best documentary film and animation at EFA award and OSCAR® nominated for Best Foreign Film, Best Documentary and Best Animation.
Forget Me Not – Sun Hee Engelstoft (2019) Selected for Best Doc at CPH:DOX (2018) and Nordic Panorama (2018)
The Distant Barking of Dogs – Simon Lereng Wilmont (2017), Oscar shortlisted, awarded best doc at first appearance IDFA, Best Nordic Dox at Gothenburg and San Francisco Film Festival. Nominated for best doc at the European Film Academy. Winner of a Peabody award.
The Dvor Massacre – G. Larsen & K. Vedsmand (2016)
The Fencing Champion – Simon Lereng Wilmont (2014)
The Sumo Wrestler’s Son – Simon Lereng Wilmont (2013)
MoonRider – by Daniel Dencik (2012)
The World’s best Chef – Rasmus Dinesen (2011)
AS CO-PRODUCER
A Boy From Heaven - Tarik Salah (ATMO, Sweden 2021) – Winner of best screenplay at Cannes Film Festival 2022.
All That I Am – Tone Grøttjord-Glenne (Sant & Usant, Norway, 2020)
Little Girl – Sebastien Lifshitz (AGAT Films, France, 2020)
GOOD FAVOUR - Rebecca Daly (Savage Productions, Ireland, 2017)
The Nile Hilton Incident - Tarik Salah (ATMO, Sweden 2017) Winner of best world cinema award at Sundance Film Festival 2017.
RUTH – Hanna Heilborn (STORY, Sweden, 2015)
Varicella - Victor Kossakovsky (Sant & Usant, Norway 2015)
Dancing for you - Erlend E. Mo (Sant & Usant, Norway 2015)
CHAPTER 7 - Ania Winiarska (STORY, Sweden, 2015)
Concerning Violence - Göran Olson (STORY, Sweden, 2014) selected for Sundance Film festival and Berlin Film Festival.
At Upfront films she worked as a production manager and part of the artistic team.
As a production manager:
Cities on Speed - Mumbai Disconnected by Camilla Nielsson (2009)
Cities on Speed – Bogota Change by Andreas Dalsgaard (2009)
BACKGROUND
Monica Hellström began her career at the Danish Film Institute in 2005, working as production coordinator in the Film Workshop, which was set up to provide funding and support for upcoming filmmakers.
After three years in the position, Monica moved to CosmoDoc (later named UpFront Film) where she worked as a production manager and was part of the artictic management. While at Upfront Films the company produced two of the internationally-renowned ‘Cities on Speed’ (2009); Mumbai Disconnected by Camilla Nielsson and Bogota Change by Andreas Dalsgaard, as well as Camilia Nielssons Democrats.
In 2010, Monica joined Final Cut For Real as producer. Alongside joint founders Signe Byrge Sørensen and Anne Köhnke, and later Heidi Elise Christensen and Maria Kristensen, they worked together for 12 years establishing the company as a global documentary production house with an all-female producer team.
Monica is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, graduated from the EAVE program in 2010 and was selected as ‘Producer on the move’ at Cannes in 2021.
Educated at the University of Bedfordshire (BA Hons, Film & Media Production) and Copenhagen University (Masters in Film & Media Science), Monica is married with two sons and lives in Humlebæk, north of Copenhagen.