Congratulations to the many VFS grads who made District 9 one of the finest movies of the year for its four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture!

Also honoured this morning, 3D Animation & Visual Effects and Writing for Film & Television alumni Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, respectively, who are nominated for Writing (Adapted Screenplay).

District 9 is one of just three nominees in the Visual Effects category, along with Avatar and Star Trek. Over 40 VFS graduates worked on the film’s VFX, and this is a richly deserved tip of the hat to all the incredibly talented people at Vancouver’s Image Engine, The Embassy, and Zoic Studios.

Congratulations from all of us here at VFS!

This is the most recent (and undoubtedly biggest) honour in a stellar awards season for District 9. The run has included nominations for a Golden Globe, 7 BAFTAs, 3 VES Awards, and 4 Satellite Awards. Blomkamp has been celebrated by the Boston Society of Film Critics (Best New Filmmaker), the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (New Generation Award), the Austin Film Critics (Best First Film), the Chicago Film Critics Association (Most Promising Filmmaker), and the Phoenix Film Critics Society (Breakout Behind the Camera). Blomkamp and Tatchell share nominations for a Critics Choice Award and an Online Film Critics Association Award for their screenplay.