James Cameron

Roles: Special Guest

Academy Award®-winning filmmaker, conservationist and National Geographic Explorer at Large James Cameron is an acclaimed filmmaker, explorer and environmental advocate. As a director, writer and producer, he is responsible for some of the most memorable films of the past three decades: “The Terminator,” “Aliens,” “The Abyss,” “Terminator 2: Judgement Day,” “True Lies,” “Titanic” and “Avatar.” For 10 years, “Avatar” was the highest-grossing film in history with over $2.7 billion in the global box office, beating the previous record-holder, Cameron’s other film “Titanic,” which held the record for 12 years. His films have also earned numerous nominations and awards, most notably “Titanic’s” 14 Academy Award nominations (tied for the record) and 11 Oscars® (also a record), including Cameron’s own three Oscars for Best Picture, Best Direction and Best Editing. Cameron also won the DGA Award for directing “Titanic” in 1998. Both “Titanic” and “Avatar” won the Golden Globe® for Best Director and Best Picture. “Avatar” was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won 3. Over the last 20 years, Cameron developed cutting-edge 3D camera systems for movies, documentaries, broadcast sports and special events. He was at the vanguard of the 3D renaissance that has transformed the movie industry in recent years. “Avatar” was shot with cameras developed by his company. Cameron has also developed unprecedented deep ocean exploration vehicles, lighting and 3D camera equipment. He has led eight deep ocean expeditions between 1995 through 2012, including three to the Titanic wreck. He has dived to that wreck 33 times and spent over 100 hours piloting small remotely-operated vehicles of his design inside the wreck to create an archeological survey of the interior. His research has led to a definitive understanding of the forensics of the Titanic’s sinking. Other expeditions included the exploration of the German battleship Bismarck in 2002 and hydrothermal vents in the Atlantic, Pacific and Sea of Cortez in 2002 and 2003. A member of the Deep Submersible Pilots Association, he has spent over 3,000 hours underwater and made 75 deep submersible dives. In 2012, Cameron led his eighth deep ocean expedition into some of the world’s deepest trenches. On March 26, 2012, he set the world’s solo deep-diving record of 35,787 feet in the Challenger Deep, a vehicle of his design. Cameron is a National Geographic Explorer at Large and recipient of their most prestigious award, the Hubbard Medal, as well as the Explorer’s Club medal for Explorer of the Year. Cameron is also passionately involved in sustainability, having founded the Avatar Alliance Foundation to take action on climate change, deforestation, indigenous rights, ocean conservation and sustainable agriculture. The “Avatar” sequels production is the first entirely vegan-catered motion picture set for environmental reasons and is dedicated to being as green and sustainable as possible. Cameron has completed two years of principal capture on “Avatar” 2, 3 and 4, and is currently shooting live action for those films in New Zealand. ”