iSince the cry of “Oscar so White” the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been working to diversify the Academy.

Among the 397 new invitees are Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose, Troy Kotsur, and Billie Eilish; as well as, her brother Finneas O’Connell.

The Academy noted that of the new invitees 44 percent are women and 37 percent are from “underrepresented ethnic and racial communities”.

Any invitee who accepts the invitation will have voting privileges for films and actors in the 95th annual Academy Awards.

Other invitees include Anya Taylor-Joy, Jessie Buckley, Gaby Hoffman, Jamie Dorman, Caitriona Balfe, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Under the international banner, Iranian Amir Jadidi, Norwegian Renate Reinsve, Frenchman Vincent London, Funke Akindele of Nigeria, and Hidetoshi Nishijima of Japan.

Film directors Andrew Ahn, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Mary Lambert, Amy Seimetz, and Isablel Sandoval are also among the list of invitees.


In other Film Academy news, eligibility for film nominations are  returning to “normal”.  During the two year span of the pandemic, the Academy allowed films that were released on streaming services to be eligible for nominations.  That will no longer be allowed; a films must be released in the treater in order to be deemed eligible for a nomination.

While a film may be released on streaming services the same day as a theatrical release, it must air at least once a day for at least seven days to be eligible.  The film must also air in at least one of six cities – New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, and the San Francisco Bay area.

In addition, a film may submit no more than three songs in the Best Original Song category.

The 95th Academy Award ceremonies is returning to its early March date in 2023 with ceremonies set for March 12.