A number of prominent Australian directors, writers and actors have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the prestigious organisation that votes on the Academy Awards.
The Australians invited to join the Oscars include Warwick Thornton (director of Sweet Country and Samson & Delilah), Rachel Perkins (director of Jasper Jones and the Mystery Road TV series), Craig Gillespie (director of I, Tonya and Lars and the Real Girl), Isla Fisher (star of Tag and Now You See Me) and Elizabeth Debicki (star of Breath and The Cloverfield Paradox).
Other Australians invited to join the Academy include Nash Edgerton, Josh Lawson, cinematographer Bonnie Elliott and producer Troy Lum.
In recent years the Academy has been expanding the diversity of its membership base. In 2016, it was identified that 92% of the organisation’s voting members were white, and 75% were male. The Academy rapidly implemented a diversity recruitment program after backlash from the #OscarsSoWhite campaign.
Lots of other, non-Australian people were invited to join the Oscars this year. They include Daisey Ridley, Amy Schumer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Dave Chappelle, Kendrick Lamar, JK Rowling, , George Lopez, Daniel Kaluuya, Ken Jeong, Blake Lively, Kumail Nanjiani, Olivia Munn, Blair Underwood and Quvenzhane Wallis.
