The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended invitations to 819 international artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures to join the organization as members. The future Academy members include several Latin American and U.S. Latinx film professionals from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Venezuela, and the United States.
The Academy has extended invitations to Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio (Roma), Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas (Knives Out), Mexican-American actress Eva Longoria (Overboard), and American-Cuban actor Yul Vazquez (Gringo).
The directors branch has invited Mexican filmmakers Felipe Cazals (Canoa), Luis Estrada (Herod’s Law); Ecuadorean filmmaker Sebastián Cordero (Europa Report), Colombian filmmakers Alejandro Landes (Monos) and Jorge Alí Triana (Bolívar Soy Yo); and Chilean filmmaker Andrés Wood (Violeta Went to Heaven).
The documentary branch has invited several Latin American filmmakers including Brazilian filmmakers Cristina Amaral (A Summer Film), Vincent Carelli (Martírio), Mariana Oliva (The Edge of Democracy), Tiago Pavan (Olmo and the Seagull); Bolivian filmmaker Violeta Ayala (Cocaine Prison); Chilean filmmakers Paola Castillo (Beyond My Grandfather Allende), Bettina Perut and Iván Osnovikoff (Los Reyes); Paraguayan filmmaker Paz Encina (Paraguayan Hammock); Colombian veteran documentarian Marta Rodriguez (Our Voice of Earth, Memory and Future); and U.S. Latinx filmmakers Julia Bacha (Naila and the Uprising) and Michèle Stephenson (American Promise).
Several Latin American producers have been invited by the Academy: Edher Campos (The Golden Dream), Nicolas Celis (Roma), Alex Garcia (Desierto), Mónica Lozano (I Dream in Another Language) from Mexico; Matías Mosteirin (Wild Tales) from Argentina; Gabriela Maire (The Good Girls) from Bolivia; and Gabriela Rodríguez (Roma) from Venezuela.
Other invited Latin American film professionals invited include Mexican writer-director Michel Franco (Chronic), Mexican editor Alejandro Carrillo Penovi (Heroic Losers), Cuban casting director Libia Batista (Viva), Argentine makeup artist Alberto Moccia (Zama), Mexican makeup artists Mari Paz Robles (Cantinflas) and David Ruiz Gameros (Amores Perros), American-Cuban jazz musician Arturo Sandoval (The Mule), Chilean production designer Estefanía Larraín (A Fantastic Woman), Argentine short-film animator Juan Pablo Zaramella (Luminaris), and Brazilian animation filmmaker Otto Guerra (City of Pirates).
The 2020 class is 45% women, 36% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 49% international from 68 countries. “The Academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travelers in the motion picture arts and sciences. We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now,” said Academy President David Rubin.
