Academy Announces VFX Short List

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the seven films competing for achievement in visual effects for the 76th Academy Awards. They are:

THE HULK [1]
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING [2]
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD [3]
PETER PAN
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL [4]
TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES [5]
X2 [6]

Conspicuously absent from the list was MATRIX REVOLUTIONS [7] (Warner Bros. chose to support the final episode in THE MATRIX trilogy rather than MATRIX RELOADED). Fifteen-minute clip reels from of the seven films will be screened in the "bakeoff" for the visual effects award nominating committee at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Jan. 21. The finalists will be announced along with nominations in 23 other categories on Jan. 27 at 5:30 am (PST). The Academy Awards will take place Feb. 29, 2004 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.