In an attempt to diversify its membership, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 176 people to become members. There are just under 6,000 members of the full Academy. Keep in mind that a person is only allowed to be a member of one branch. So for example, Barbra Streisand. She might have been invited for her acting, so if she did not change her branch when she became a director, she does not vote for the best director nominee.
I have a sneaking suspicion that women who have become directors later in their careers are still members in the former branches like writing. Wouldn’t it be smart if the Academy figured out a way to have women who are now mostly directors to vote in the directing branch? That way it wouldn’t be so lopsided towards men. But maybe I’m kidding myself to think that there might be enough women to make any difference.
Things to note:
- Only one woman — out of 11 invitations — was invited to be a member of the directing branch — -Kasi Lemmons. So the male membership continues to grow.
- Only one woman — out of 9 — was invited to be a member of the cinematographers branch — Anna J. Foerster
- Ony two women — out of 10 — were invited to be members of the writing branch — Annine Mumolo and Kristen Wiig
- There are no women invited in the executive, Film Editors, and Music branches.
Here are the women invited by category:
Actors
Bérénice Bejo — “The Artist,” “OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies”
Jessica Chastain — “The Help,” “The Tree of Life”
Margo Martindale — “Secretariat,” “Million Dollar Baby”
Melissa McCarthy — “Bridesmaids,” “The Back-Up Plan”
Janet McTeer — “Albert Nobbs,” “Tumbleweeds”
S. Epatha Merkerson — “Mother and Child,” “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”
Octavia Spencer — “The Help,” “The Soloist”
Lili Taylor — “Being Flynn,” “High Fidelity”
Nia Vardalos — “For a Good Time, Call…,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”
Kerry Washington — “Django Unchained,” “Ray”
Michelle Yeoh — “The Lady,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”
Designers
Wendy Chuck — “The Descendants,” “Sideways”
Maria Djurkovic — “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “The Hours”
Sanja Milkovic Hays — “Battle: Los Angeles,” “Mission to Mars”
Mayes Rubeo — “Avatar,” “Apocalypto”
Anne Seibel — “Midnight in Paris,” “The Devil Wears Prada”
Sharon Seymour — “The Ides of March,” “Friday Night Lights”
Sammy Sheldon — “X-Men: First Class,” “V for Vendetta”
Cinematographers
Anna J. Foerster — “Anonymous”
Directors
Kasi Lemmons — “Talk to Me,” “Eve’s Bayou”
Documentary
Amy Berg — “Bhutto,” “Deliver Us from Evil”
Johanna Demetrakas — “Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche,” “Bus Riders Union”
Mary Lampson — “Kimjongilia,” “Harlan County, USA”
Lucy Walker — “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom,” “Waste Land”
Makeup Artists and Hairstylists
Linda Flowers — “The Hunger Games,” “The Social Network”
Toni G — “Salt,” “Monster”
Amanda Knight — “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” “Mission: Impossible”
Tami Lane — “Superman Returns” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe”
Members-at-Large
Wendy Aylsworth
Sarah Katzman
Heidi Levitt
Kerry Lyn McKissick
Elizabeth Sayre
Mary Vernieu
Producers
Letty Aronson — “Midnight in Paris,” “Match Point”
Susan Cartsonis — “Beastly,” “What Women Want”
Tracey Edmonds — “Jumping the Broom,” “Soul Food”
Dede Gardner — “The Tree of Life,” “Running with Scissors”
Mary Jane Skalski — “Win Win,” “The Station Agent”
Public Relations
Cindi Berger
Rebecca Kearey
Katie Martin Kelley
Michelle Sewell
Short Films and Feature Animation
Amanda Forbis — “Wild Life,” “When the Day Breaks”
Emily Hubley — “The Toe Tactic,” “Pigeon Within”
Michelle Steffes — “The Interview,” “Day Labor”
Jennifer Yuh Nelson — “Kung Fu Panda 2,” “Madagascar”
Sound
Deb Adair — “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance,” “Moneyball”
Stephen M. Bartkowicz — “Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds,” “Red State”
Mildred Iatrou — “The Green Hornet,” “The Tree of Life”
Visual Effects
Sheena Duggal — “The Hunger Games,” “Spider-Man 3”
Writers
Annie Mumolo — “Bridesmaids”
Kristen Wiig — “Bridesmaids”
