The Australian Effects and Animation Festival has announced the finalists for the 2026 awards, which include works completed by The Yard on Predator : Badlands and Stranger Things 5.
The global VFX landscape is shifting faster than ever. As the Australian Effects & Animation Festival (AEAF) committee noted in this year’s finalists announcement, studios worldwide are facing intense pressure to scale workflows and blend cutting-edge toolsets with traditional techniques—all while keeping creative storytelling at the absolute center.
Here at The Yard, we love that challenge. That’s why we are incredibly proud to reveal that two of our major projects have been named finalists in three categories for the 2026 AEAF Awards:
- Predator: Badlands – Finalist in Feature Film VFX, along with our work on the intense Cave Fight Sequence recognized in Feature Film Sequence.
- Stranger Things 5 – Finalist in the highly competitive TV Series category.
Now in its 26th year, the AEAF Awards remain a definitive benchmark for international creative and technical excellence. Entries are rigorously judged on artistry, technical skill, and most importantly, how beautifully the visual effects integrate into the project to elevate the story.
Securing a spot among the finalists for both a legendary sci-fi feature film and the final season of a global television phenomenon is a massive milestone. It is a direct reflection of the relentless imagination, precision, and passion our teams bring to the studio every single day. Whether we are crafting gritty, high-stakes cinematic action sequences or building eerie, immersive episodic worlds, our crew continues to push the boundaries of what is possible on screen.
A huge congratulations to all the brilliant artists, supervisors, and production teams at The Yard who poured their hearts into these projects. This recognition is thoroughly well-deserved!
The AEAF team is currently deep in the judging phase to choose the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Special Merit winners across all 20 categories. The final winners will be officially announced on July 23, 2026.
We want to extend our congratulations to all of our fellow nominees and premier studios sharing the finalist lists this year. We look forward to celebrating the extraordinary variety of global VFX talent later this month.
👉 Want to see the amazing lineup of talent we are running alongside? Explore the full list of 2026 AEAF Finalists here.