Wētā FX has taken home a BAFTA Film Award for their work on Avatar: Fire and Ash, announced at this morning’s ceremony in London (NZDT).
The Wellington-based visual effects studio was represented by Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett, who received the Best Special Visual Effects award alongside Richard Baneham from James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment.
This marks Letteri’s sixth BAFTA win, and the second for both Saindon and Barrett. All three previously won for Avatar: The Way of Water in 2022, with Letteri also recognised for the original Avatar in 2009.
Wētā FX delivered 94% of the visual effects shots for Fire and Ash, with more than 1,200 crew contributing to a total of 3,132 shots.
In a joint statement, the trio said the award was “a testament to the extraordinary dedication, artistry, and innovation of our entire visual effects team and the many collaborators who helped bring this world to life.”
They also thanked Lightstorm Entertainment and The Walt Disney Company for their “unwavering support, creative trust, and commitment to ambitious filmmaking,” saying the partnership enables Wētā FX to “push the boundaries of visual storytelling.”
The team acknowledged the wider New Zealand screen industry as well, praising the “talent, craftsmanship, and collaborative spirit” of the local film community.
Wētā FX’s awards season momentum is far from over. The studio is nominated for 16 awards across 11 categories at the upcoming Visual Effects Society Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday 26 February (NZDT).
They are also in contention for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Avatar: Fire and Ash, with the Oscars taking place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday 16 March 2026 (NZDT).