Oscar Advances 15 in VFX Race

Fifteen films have advanced to the semifinals in the race for the Oscar for best visual effects.

The films still in the race are:

‘ Angels & Demons

‘ Avatar

‘ Coraline

‘ Disney’s A Christmas Carol

‘ 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

The executive committee of the academy’s visual effects branch chose the semifinalists and will further winnow down the list to seven contenders in early January.

The seven finalists will present at the annual visual effects bake-off, set for Jan. 21. Members attending the bake-off will vote for the best effects at the conclusion of the bake-off, with the top three vote-getters becoming this year’s Oscar nominees.

The nominees will be announced Feb. 2, with the winner revealed during the annual Oscar ceremony, set for March 7.