When it comes to the Oscars, we know it’s just an honor to be nominated. But we should also remember that getting invited to be part of the Academy is as rare and welcome an honor. Continuing its mission to shake up the near 100-year-old organization, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences added 928 new members from 59 countries this year. Each member gets to join one branch and vote within that branch to dictate nominations (everyone votes for winners in their branch as well as for Best Picture). 49% of the invited members are female, which will nudge the overall female membership to a record-breaking (though still cringe-worthy) 31%. The same group is made up of 38% people of color (that overall percentage is unsurprisingly bleak: it sits at a paltry 16%). It’ll take time for the Academy’s make-up to mirror anything remotely resembling the United States’ demographics but these are all moves in the right direction.
There are, thankfully, a whole lot of Latino and Latin American filmmakers making their way into the Academy’s ranks this year. We decided to spotlight our favorite ten (all actors) which include a Jane the Virgin father-daughter duo, one of Mexico’s biggest comedic stars and two of Sebastian Lelio’s muses. Check them out below, as well as an added list of other talented folks from all across AMPAS’ branches that will get to decide what will follow The Shape of Water as next year’s Best Picture.
Alice Braga, Actress
I Am Legend, City of God
Jaime Camil, Actor
Coco, Pulling Strings
Ricardo Darín, Actor
Wild Tales, The Secret in Their Eyes
Eugenio Derbez, Actor
Overboard, How to Be a Latin Lover
Melonie Diaz, Actress
Fruitvale Station, Be Kind Rewind
Paulina García, Actress
The Desert Bride, Gloria
George Lopez, Actor
Rio, Real Women Have Curves
Pedro Pascal, Actor
Kingsman: The Golden Circle, The Adjustment Bureau
Gina Rodriguez, Actress
Annihilation, Deepwater Horizon
Daniela Vega, Actress
A Fantastic Woman, The Guest
Some Other Notable Invitees
Damián Alcázar, Actor
Diana Bracho, Actress
Elpidia Carrillo, Actress
Rosanna DeSoto, Actress
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Actor
Ernesto Gómez Cruz, Actor
Blanca Guerra, Actress
Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez, Actress
Mía Maestro, Actor
John Ortiz, Actor
María Rojo, Actress
Benjamin Echazarreta, Cinematographer
David Gallego, Cinematographer
Paula Huidobro, Cinematographer
Pedro Luque, Cinematographer
Alexis Zabé, Cinematographer
Gabriela Diaque, Costume Designer
Mariestela Fernández, Costume Designer
Lala Huete, Costume Designer
Graciela Mazón, Costume Designer
Cecilia Montiel, Production Designer
Maite Alberdi, Documentary Filmmaker
Petra Costa, Documentary Filmmaker
Paco de Onis, Documentary Filmmaker
Sara Dosa, Documentary Filmmaker
Everardo González, Documentary Filmmaker
Carla Gutierrez, Documentary Filmmaker
Tatiana Huezo, Documentary Filmmaker
Gema Juarez Allen, Documentary Filmmaker
Pedro Pimenta, Documentary Filmmaker
Bernardo Ruiz, Documentary Filmmaker
Juan Carlos Rulfo, Documentary Filmmaker
Helena Solberg, Documentary Filmmaker
Maria Augusta Ramos, Documentary Filmmaker
Andrea Chignoli, Editor
Felipe Lacerda, Editor
Soledad Salfate, Editor
Elsa Reyes, Producer
Vânia Catani, Producer
Lisa Cortés, Producer
Elsa Reyes, Producer
Bárbara Muschietti, Producer
Sofia Carrillo, Short Film Director
Cesar Velazquez, Animator
Carlos Fernandez Puertolas, Animator
Ruben Perez, Animator
Mauro Mueller, Short Film Filmmaker
Antonio Diego, Sound Mixer
Ruy Garcia, Film Score Composer
Carlinhos Brown, Music
Osvaldo Golijov, Music
Emilio Kauderer, Music
Charlie Iturriaga, Visual Effects Supervisor
Nelson Sepulveda, Visual Effects
Fabian Castro, PR
Melissa Martinez, PR
Vicky Eguia, PR
Sabina Berman, Writer
Guillermo Calderón, Writer
Laura Esquivel, Writer
Gonzalo Maza, Writer
Gibran Portela, Writer
Alicia Scherson, Writer
Fernando Solanas, Writer
Leon Ichaso, Director
Andrés Muschietti, Director