South Africa is set to feature prominently at this year's Oscars as District 9 was nominated for best picture and Morgan Freeman was nominated for best actor for his role as former president Nelson Mandela in the film Invictus.
The nominations list for the 82nd Academy Awards was announced yesterday, and also features Matt Damon. He is up for best supporting actor for his role as World Cup-winning Springbok captain Francois Pienaar in the film about the rugby team's 1995 triumph.
District 9, directed by South African Niell Blomkamp, protege of Lord of the Rings mastermind Peter Jackson, stars locals Sharlto Copley and Vanessa Haywood.
Blomkamp and fellow screenwriter Terri Tatchell are also in the running for best adapted screenplay Oscar, and the film has been nominated in the film editing and visual effects categories.
However, District 9 is set to face fierce competition in the best picture category, which includes smash-hit Avatar, directed by Titanic's James Cameron, and Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds among the nominees.
Freeman's competition comes in the form of Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart, George Clooney for Up in the Air, and Colin Firth for A Single Man.
Actress Sandra Bullock must be over the moon about her first Oscar nomination for The Blind Side, and is appearing on the list alongside Academy Award veterans Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren.
