Slovenian computer scientist Jernej Barbič has won a SciTech Oscar for Ziva VFX, a software that simulates realistic movements under the skin in character animation. Since 2016, Ziva VFX has been used in more than 60 films, including Hollywood blockbusters.

The University of Southern California where Barbič works as a professor of computer science wrote on X that the award was a huge win for cinematic innovation. It described the software as a tool that gives CGI characters muscles, fat and skin that move just like human tissues.

Working in a team, Barbič developed Ziva VFX together with Essex Edwards, James Jacobs, Crawford Doran and Andrew van Straten. The name of the software comes from the Slovenian name Živa, giving the award they received "a special Slovenian touch", Barbič said.

The technology has been used in more than 60 films, including Garfield (2024), Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), Venom 2 (2021), Captain Marvel (2019), Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) and The Meg (2018).

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gives out the Scientific and Technical Awards every year to honour individuals and companies whose innovations have contributed significantly to motion pictures. This year 37 individuals received the award for 14 exceptional achievements.