New Class of AMPAS Members is 49 % Female!

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited 928 new members June 25, 49 percent of which are women. According to Variety, this class will bring the total AMPAS membership to 31 percent female, up from 25 percent in 2015.

The Academy has nearly tripled its number of invitees since 2016 – the year #OscarsSoWhite led to greater efforts to diversify its voting body. Among the nearly 1,000 invited members this year, there are 10 female feature directors and 17 female writers. Variety also noted that nine branches AMPAS invited more women than men, including actors, documentary filmmakers, casting directors, executives, editors and makeup artists. Many acting invitees were in films this year that passed the Bechdel-Wallace Test, including Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip), Zoey Deutch (The Year of Spectacular Men, Set It Up), Lily Collins (To The Bone), Timothee Chalamet (Lady Bird) and Mindy Kaling (Ocean’s 8), among many others.

The Rider writer-director Chloe Zhao is a double-invitee in both writing and directing categories. She is one of only 10 people invited by multiple branches of the Academy.

The female feature directors and writers invited this year are listed below with select reviews of their work. Click here for the full list of AMPAS invitees, including many female documentary directors.

Photos: Actress Ruth Wilson stars in AMPAS invitee Clio Barnard’s Dark River, in theaters 6/29; AMPAS invitee Angela Robinson, director of Professor Marston and The Wonder Women.