The 98th Academy Awards once again highlighted the extraordinary artistry and technical innovation that defines modern films. Hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the annual ceremony honours the craftspeople and storytellers who push the boundaries of filmmaking, around the world.
Best Visual Effects
With more than 11,000 members, the Academy continues to recognise the intersection of art and science in cinema, something VFX exemplifies perhaps better than any other medium. From sophisticated pipelines and rendering techniques to emotionally resonant storytelling, the winners this year remind us how Effects continues to evolve both technically and creatively.
Visual Effects
For continuing to redefine the frontier of digital filmmaking, the visual effects team behind Avatar: Fire and Ash, led by Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett, delivered a breathtaking fusion of performance capture, world building, and photoreal digital characters, once again raising the bar for what audiences hope and expect from VFX.
Representing more than 1,200 Wētā FX crew who contributed to the film, including artists in their Melbourne hub, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett were in LA to collect their award.
“We are overwhelmed with gratitude and deeply honoured to receive the Visual Effects award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for our work on Avatar: Fire and Ash,” say Letteri, Saindon, and Barrett.
“To be recognised by the Academy is something we never take lightly. This award represents years of passion, risk, collaboration, and an unwavering belief in what cinema can achieve when artistry and technology move together in service of story.”
“Hundreds of artists, engineers, technicians, and production partners poured their hearts into every frame. This honour belongs to all of them,” they say.
Wētā FX has worked with James Cameron and his company Lightstorm Entertainment for the last twenty years, resulting in a close, collaborative relationship that has enabled cutting-edge innovations in visual effects.
The VFX house was responsible for 94% of the film’s visual effects shots.
Letteri, Saindon and Barrett add, “We are profoundly grateful to Lightstorm Entertainment and The Walt Disney Company for their trust and steadfast support. Their belief in ambitious filmmaking gives us the courage to push boundaries and explore new creative ground. That trust is invaluable.”
“We also want to acknowledge the extraordinary film community in Australia and New Zealand. The talent, generosity, and collaborative spirit here are unlike anywhere else. It is a privilege to create alongside such dedicated and innovative people, and to bring world-class filmmaking to the global stage from this remarkable corner of the world,” they say.
This is Letteri’s sixth Oscar win, and Saindon and Barrett’s second, with all three having received the honour for Avatar: The Way of Water in 2023.
Best Animated Feature Film
Winner: KPop Demon Hunters
Directed by Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans, and Michelle L. M. Wong
This year’s animated feature winner blends spectacle and storytelling in a genre-bending adventure that mixes music, action and supernatural fantasy. KPop Demon Hunters stands out for its bold visual style and high-energy choreography, combining the aesthetics of global pop culture with the cinematic scale audiences expect from contemporary animated features.
The film’s success reflects how modern animation pipelines allow filmmakers to create worlds that feel both stylized and grounded, while delivering dynamic character performances that carry the emotional core of the story. It’s a reminder that animated filmmaking remains one of the most technically demanding, and creatively liberating, forms of storytelling.
Best Animated Short Film
Winner: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
In the short film category, The Girl Who Cried Pearls demonstrates the power of concise storytelling. Animated shorts have long been a testing ground for new techniques and artistic voices, and this year’s winner continues that tradition with a visually poetic and emotionally resonant piece.
Lavis and Szczerbowski craft a film that balances elegant visual language with strong thematic storytelling, proof that short-form animation remains one of the most inventive corners of filmmaking.
Special side note:
Oscar ties is a thing ? Who knew? Also …was the person doing the ‘music off ‘ this year – a work experience intern? And who wrote the jokes for Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans ? – And promise us that they aren’t on the next Marvel film, …no really.