The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today the record-breaking number of 774 industry professionals that has invited as new members, and that includes several Latin American and U.S. Latino invitees.
As a direct result of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, the Academy has vowed to include more diverse members. The new class, which represents 57 countries and is 39% female according to the Academy.
Among the newest class of Academy members are Brazilian filmmakers Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Carlos Diegues, Karim Aïnouz, and Kleber Mendonça Filho; Mexican directors Amat Escalante, Arturo Ripstein, and Natalia Almada; Chilean filmmakers Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Pablo Larraín; Argentine directors Pablo Trapero, Adolfo Aristaráin, and Héctor Olivera; Cuban director Juan Carlos Tabío; and Colombian director Patricia Cardoso.
Other Latin American invitees include Cuban editor Ricardo Costa, Mexican producers Bertha Navarro, Frida Torresblanco, and Pablo Cruz; Chilean producer Juan de Dios Larraín; screenwriters Mauricio Zacharias from Brazil, and Paz Alicia Garcíadiego from Mexico; the cinematographers Affonso Beato, Walter Carvalho, Heloísa Passos from Brazil, and Ernesto Pardo from Mexico; musicians Lin-Manuel Miranda and Edesio Alejandro from Cuba; and actors Rodrigo Santoro from Brazil, and Édgar Ramírez from Venezuela.
