2012 by Roland Emmerich (top); Star Trek by J.J. Abrams (middle); Avatar by James Cameron (bottom)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that 15 films have been selected as semifinalists for Achievement in Visual Effects for 2010 Academy Awards.
The films are listed below in alphabetical order:
- Angels & Demons
- Avatar
- A Christmas Carol
- Coraline
- District 9
- G-Force
- G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Sherlock Holmes
- Star Trek
- Terminator Salvation
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
- 2012
- Watchmen
- Where the Wild Things Are
I find it a little surprising that of all the special-effect-driven movies out there — or even regular movies that make use of special effects in their production (Invictus, The Lovely Bones) — they selected a mere 15 semi-finalists, of which (see below) only three will get an Oscar nomination. Considering the state of filmmaking nowadays, visual effects should be a regular category with five nominees each year.
The following is from the Academy's press release:
In early January, the members of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee, who selected the semifinalists, will narrow the list to seven.
All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 15-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films on Thursday, January 21. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.
The 2010 Academy Award nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The 2010 Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center. In the US, it'll be televised live by ABC.
Avatar will surely win this one.
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