29 June 2016 2:28 PM, PDT | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
AMPAS president Cheryl Boone Isaacs on Wednesday said the Academy had been talking about a more inclusive membership for a long time, “and today represents a major step toward that goal of inclusion” with the announcement of a massive new class of Academy invitees.
The Academy has been under fire since Oscar nominations were announced in January; but Isaacs emphasized that the upside is that the membership got involved. “This organization, from the leadership to the rank-and-file — all 6,000 members — got engaged in the conversation. Because of that, we were able to invite a new group of voices who represent film today and are inclusive,” she told Variety.
The 683 new invitations, announced Wednesday, more than doubles the previous high, which was 322 last year. The new class of invitees are 46% female and 41% people of color.
The members this year have been more active in suggesting new names, she said. “Every year, you »
- Tim Gray
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