The film was nominated for 8 Oscars at the 50th Academy Awards , including Best Director , Supporting Actress ( Melinda Dillon ) , Visual Effects , Art Direction ( Joe Alves , Daniel A. Lomino , Phil Abramson ) , Original Music Score , Film Editing , and Sound ( Robert Knudson , Robert Glass , Don MacDougall and Gene Cantamessa ) . The film 's only win was for Vilmos Zsigmond 's cinematography , although the Academy honored the film 's sound effects editing with a Special Achievement Award ( Frank Warner )
50th Academy Awards
50th Academy Awards
Close Encounters of the Third Kind