Sci-fi extravaganza ‘Avatar,' Iraq drama “The Hurt Locker” and coming-of-age story “An Education” earned eight nominations apiece Thursday in the race for the British Academy Film Awards, Britain's equivalent of the Oscars. The three films are up for best picture alongside “Up in the Air” and “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire.” South African alien thriller “District 9” received seven BAFTA nominations, while Quentin Tarantino's “Inglourious Basterds” and Jason Reitman's “Up in the Air” got six each. James Cameron is competing for best director against his ex-wife, “The Hurt Locker” director Kathryn Bigelow. The other director nominees are Neill Blomkamp for “District 9,” Lone Scherfig for “An Education” and Quentin Tarantino for “Inglourious Basterds.” The best actor race pits George Clooney, for “Up in the Air,” against “The Hurt Locker” star Jeremy Renner, Jeff Bridges for “Crazy Heart,” Colin Firth for “A Single Man” and Andy Serkis for “Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll.” Meryl Streep received her 13th BAFTA nomination for “Julie and Julia” as well as Carey Mulligan for “An Education,” Audrey Tautou for “Coco Before Chanel,” Irish actress Saoirse Ronan for “The Lovely Bones” and Gabourey Sidibe for “Precious.”