James Cameron Wins PETA Award for Empathetic Message in Avatar

Film's Stunning Animal-Friendly Special Effects Also Earn Kudos 

For Immediate Release:
January 20, 2010

Contact:
Amanda Schinke 757-622-7382

Los Angeles -- For the inspiring message in his blockbuster film Avatar--which stresses the interconnectedness of nature and the importance of treating all living beings, no matter how "strange" or "alien," with respect and dignity--Golden Globe-winning director James Cameron has won PETA's Proggy Award for Outstanding Feature Film. Cameron will receive a framed certificate as well as a letter of congratulations. PETA's Proggy Awards ("Proggy" is for "progress") recognize animal-friendly achievements in commerce and culture.

Viewers will recognize how the plight of Avatar's catlike Na'vi people--who are faced with being driven off their land by a greedy corporation--closely echoes the real-life plight of animals on Earth, many of whom continue to be torn away from their homes and families and locked up in cages in zoos, circuses, and laboratories. PETA also applauds the movie's stunning special effects, which beautifully illustrate how unnecessary it is to subject animals to the stress of a film production.

"We hope viewers will come away from Avatar with a new way of looking at the world around them and the way we treat our fellow earthlings," says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. "For helping animals with the positive message of this film, James Cameron is PETA's 'King of the World.'"

For more information and to read about the other Proggy winners, please visit PETA.org.