AMPAS Commitment to Diversity is Reflected in List of New Members
AMPAS Invites 683 To Become Members; 71 of Which Are Latino
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the body of members which nominate and select the Oscar winners has set a record by inviting 683 to join the Academy, in a seemingly direct response by AMPAS to bring diversiity to their membership after two straight years of being labeled #OscarsSoWhite. Many point to the lack of diversity in the voting AMPAS membership as the reason for the lack of nominations of persons of color. But yesterday Wednesday, June 30th AMPAS took a major step in addressing diversity; hoping there will be no repeat of the #OscarSoWhite social media uproar.
This past January, the leadership of AMPAS stated that their goal moving forward was to “double the number of diverse members” in the organization by 2020, meaning women and people of color. Out of the new member invitees for 2016, 46% are female and 41% are people of color, with Latinos making up a bit over 10% of the list, a record breaking 71 Latinos were invited to join. Should all the 2016 Academy invitees elect to join, it will mark the beginning of the shift AMPAS is seemingly committed to make within its ranks.
Among the artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures are seventeen Latino actors; fourteen directors and four writers among the other creatives. Invited to join are actors with an international profile like America Ferrera (Cesar Chavez, End of Watch), Oscar Issac (Ex Machina, A Most Violent Year), Luis Guzman (Punch Drunk Love, Carlito’s Way) and Eva Mendes (A Place Beyond the Pines, Hitch). Additionally, actors whose work in the industry is well known and who have paid their dues in this industry, include: Pepe Serna (The Black Dahlia, The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez), Enrique Castillo (Weeds, Deja Vu, Bound by Honor) and Mexican actor Ignacio Lopez Tarso (Under the Volcano, Nazsarin). In the director category the selection ranges from fairly new director Patricia Riggen (The 33, Girl in Progress) and long time directors Victor Nunez (Spoken Word, Ulee’s Gold) and Luis Valdez (La Bamba, Zoot Suit).
For some, the petition to join AMPAS was not a first. “Danny De La Paz (Boulevard Nights) and I had been sponsored some years ago but were told by the academy that our work was not up to the standards of the academy,” Castillo recounted of his effort to join the AMPAS over a decade ago. “This in view of others in the academy at the time that didn’t have half the resume we did.”
What made the difference this time around? AMPAS president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and CEO Dawn Hudson have been publicly vocal about their efforts to diversify the organization after social media hastag #OscarSoWhite first brought attention to the lack of diversity in 2015. The following year the number of invitations increased to 322 when in the past is was in the 200 number. This year the invitations more than doubled last years efforts at a record breaking 683.
In addition, according to Castillo, “If it hadn’t been for [actress] Alma Martinez being persistent and encouraging I wouldn’t have gone along. She deserves a lot of the credit. And my thanks to my good friend and great actor Rudy Ramos for his sponsorship and to his good friend and great fellow actor Steve Railsback for his second sponsorship. All three a real class act.” Having friends supporting you can never be underrated.
Although, Martinez encouraged persons to apply, she had one endorsement she could use and she sponsored actress Julie Carmen. “Alma Martinez was allowed to nominate one person and I was very, very touched that she called me,” Carmen told us. James Victor, who passed away last week and who was her cast mate in the ABC sitcom Condo was her second sponsor. “I’m really sad he’s not here to see the big change in the Academy,” Carmen lamented. Daniel Stern and Louis Gossett Jr. each wrote supportive letters on he behalf.
Although AMPAS has a ways to go to meet their 2020 goal for diversifying their membership, it can truly be said that they took a major step in reaching their goal with this announcement. Time will tell if the diversity move will translate onto a more nominations for people of color and females.
Below is a list of the 71 Latinos invited to join AMPAS. For a full list CLICK HERE
Actors
Julie Carmen – The Milagro Beanfield War, Gloria Enrique Castillo – Déjà Vu, Bound by Honor America Ferrera – Cesar Chavez, End of Watch Luis Guzmán – Punch-Drunk Love, Carlito’s Way Oscar Isaac – Ex Machina, A Most Violent Year Sal Lopez – The Astronaut Farmer, Full Metal Jacket Ignacio López Tarso – Under the Volcano, Nazarin Eva Mendes – The Place beyond the Pines, Hitch Marisa Paredes – The Skin I Live In, All about My Mother Jorge Perugorría – Che, Strawberry and Chocolate Silvia Pinal – Vintage Model, The Exterminating Angel Michelle Rodriguez – Avatar, Girlfight Cecilia Roth – Lucia Lucia, All about My Mother Pepe Serna – The Black Dahlia, The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
Tessa Thompson – Creed, For Colored Girls Jacob Vargas – The 33, Jarhead Daphne Zuniga – Staying Together, Spaceballs
Cinematographers
Bárbara Alvarez – The Second Mother, Whisky
Lula Carvalho – Teenage Mutan Ninja, Robocop
Enrique Chediak – The 5th Wave, The Maze Runner
Felix Monti – Our Last Tango, The Secret in Their Eyes
Director
Juan Antonio Garcia Bayona – The Impossible, The Orphanage
Israel Cárdenas – Sand Dollars, Carmita Carlos Carrera – Backyard, El Crimen del Padre Amaro
Isabel Coixet – Learning to Drive, Elegy Nicole Garcia – A View of Love, Charlie Says Ciro Guerra – Embrace of the Serpent, The Wind Journeys Laura Amelia Guzmán – Sand Dollars, Carmita
Lucrecia Martel – La Cienega, The Headless Woman
Ana Muylaert – Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, The Second Mother María Novaro – The Good Herbs, Lola Victor Nunez – Spoken Word, Ulee’s Gold Lucía Puenzo – The German Doctor, El Niño Pez Patricia Riggen – The 33, Girl in Progress Luis Valdez – La Bamba, Zoot Suit
Costume Design
Sonia Grande – Midnight in Paris, Julieta
Designer
Pilar Revuelta – Pan’s Labyrinth, The Impossible
Documentary
Ramona S. Diaz – Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey, Imelda
Executives
James F. Lopez
Film Editors
Raúl Antonio Dávalos – The Amateurs, Meet Wally Sparks
Affonso Gonçalves – Winter’s Bone, Beast of the Southern Wild
Pedro Kos – The Crash Deal, Frida
Bernat Vilaplana – Crimson’s Peak, Pan’s Labyrinth
Make-up/Hair
Beatrice De Alba – Away We Go, Frida
Music
Germaine Franco – Dope, Mr. and Mrs. Smith Fernando Velázquez – Crimson Peak, Mama
Producers
Esther García Rodríguez – Wild Tales, The Skin I Live In
Rodrigo Teixeira – The Witch, Mistress America
Public Relations
Linda Guerrero
Casting Directors
Sara Bilbatua – Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone
Carmen Cuba – The Martian, Side Effects
Walter Rippel – Everyone Has a Plan, The Secret in Their Eyes
Manuel Teil – Babel, Y tu Mama Tambien
Short Film and Feature Animations
Pato Escala – The Bear
Jorge R. Gutierrez – The Book of Life, Carmelo Jon W.S. Huertas – The Box, Lone Linda Campos Olszewski – Car-Ma’, A Bad Hair Day Gabriel Osorio – Bear Story, Residuos Pablo Valle – How to Train Your Dragon 2, Turbo
Sound
Roberto Fernandez – St. Vincent, Drive George Lara – Chi-Raq, Spotlight Lisa Pinero – Steve Jobs, Fury
Visual Effects
Adam Valdez – Maleficent, World War Z
Writers
Vera Blasi – Emperor, Women on Top
Ciro Guerra – Embrace of the Serpent, The Wind Journeys
Carlos Reygadas – Silent Light, Post Tenbras Lux
Sebastien Lilio – La Sagrada Famila, Gloria
Members At Large
Ana Maria Quintana
Associates
Emanuel Nunez Joanelle Romero Warren Zavala
The Academy and the ABC Television Network today announced key dates for the 89th Oscars®. The Academy Awards® presentation will air live on ABC on Oscar® Sunday, February 26, 2017.
Academy key dates for the 2016 Awards season are:
Saturday, November 12, 2016 Governors Awards Thursday, January 5, 2017 Nominations voting opens Friday, January 13, 2017 Nominations voting closes Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Oscar Nominations Announcement Monday, February 6, 2017 Oscar Nominees Luncheon Saturday, February 11, 2017 Scientific and Technical Awards Monday, February 13, 2017 Finals voting opens Tuesday, February 21, 2017 Finals voting closes Oscar Sunday, February 26, 2017 89th Academy Awards
The Academy and the ABC Television Network announced the 89th Oscar® presentations will air live on ABC on Oscar Sunday, February 26, 2017, to be held at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
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