Oscar awards body aims to increase diversity

Women and ethnic minorities targeted in latest round of invitations

by Amber Wilkinson

Daniel Kaluuya in Black Panther
Daniel Kaluuya in Black Panther Photo: Marvel Studios

Oscars body the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued its drive for better diversity with its latest round of invitations.

Stars and executives asked to be part of the awards body include Welsh star Taron Egerton, Black Panther's Daniel Kaluuya and Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

The Academy, which plans to double the number of women and ethnic minority voters by 2020, also invited Girls Trip star Tiffany Haddish, writer/actor/producer Dave Chappelle, The Big Sick's Kumail Nanjiani, and Timothée Chalamet, the French star of Call Me By Your Name, to join its ranks.

The organisation, which has faced a wave of criticism from the #OscarsSoWhite and #MeToo movements, says that 49 per cent of the new members are women and 38 per cent people of colour.

Other female actors on the list include Amy Schumer, Jada Pinkett Smith and Ann Dowd - along with the youngest invitee, Quvenzhané Wallis, 14. Directors invited include The Rider's Chloé Zhao, Sean Baker (The Florida Project) and Justin Simien (Dear White People).

If everyone who has received an invite accepts, the female membership will be up to 31 per cent, from 25 per cent in 2015, while ethnic minority representation will have doubled from eight per cent to 16 per cent.

Share this with others on...
News

Bait for the beast Simon Panay on challenging attitudes to albino people in The Boy With White Skin

Ice cool Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani talk Reflection In A Dead Diamond

Songs and silence Urška Djukić on music, unspoken communication and Little Trouble Girls

The beauty of doubt Toni Servillo on costumes by Carlo Poggioli and working with Paolo Sorrentino on La Grazia

Peter Hujar's Day leads Independent Spirit nominations Full list of film contenders revealed

One Battle After Another takes top Gotham prize It Was Just An Accident wins on the numbers

More news and features

Interact

More competitions coming soon.