James Cameron's 3D sci-fi epic Avatar won six Visual Effects Society Awards on Sunday. Among those was the top VES Award for visual effects in a visual effects-driven feature. Avatar's competition was District 9, Star Trek, 2012, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Additionally, James Cameron received the VES Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Bill Paxton. Avatar is obviously the favorite to win this year's Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
This weekend, Avatar broke another box-office record as it became the first movie ever to earn more than $700 million at the North American box office. Avatar stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Laz Alonso, Joel David Moore, Michelle Rodriguez, CCH Pounder, and Giovanni Ribisi.
Pete Docter's Up, a Disney/Pixar release that is the favorite for this year's Best Animated Feature Oscar, won three awards, including outstanding animation.
Other feature film winners were District 9, for outstanding compositing, and Sherlock Holmes, for supporting visual effects.
Photo: Avatar (WETA / 20th Century Fox)