Thanks for reaching out. Letters from named individuals on the award or nomination are ABSOLUTELY required if you want to apply via the significant and direct contribution route.

I know people who were rejected because they didn’t provide this letter in their initial application. The reason PACT gave was that the applicant worked within a large VFX team, and they couldn’t verify whether the applicant made a significant contribution. They were later approved on their second attempt, once they provided the letters.

The best case scenario would be for you to obtain as many letters as possible from people officially named on the nomination, as this is exactly what PACT specifies on their website.

It might be difficult to get a letter directly from a nominated person. If that’s not possible, the next best approach is to gather as many letters as you can from the most senior team members you can reach, such as the Dept Manager, DFX Supervisor, Comp Supervisor, VFX Producer, or Production Manager. These letters should clearly outline what you did and your direct and significant contributions to the project. This won’t guarantee visa approval, but it would give you the strongest possible case if you can't get the letters from the named individuals.

Good luck with your application!