Oscars invite Steven Yeun and Issa Rae to Academy

Steven Yeun and Nathan Lane are among those invited to join Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Thursday’s announcement by the Oscars organization said that 395 professionals in the film industry, 46% of which are women, and 39% who come from underrepresented groups, were invited to join 2021 class. If they accept, as most do, they will be eligible to vote at the Oscars next year.

Maria Bakalova (“Borat subsequent moviefilm”), Andra day (“The United States against Billie Holiday”), and Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”) are all new Oscar nominees. Other winners include Yuh-Jung Youn (Minari’s), Erik Messerschmidt (Mank) and H.E.R., singer-songwriter. Emerald Fennell, writer of “Promising Young Women”,

Fennell was invited to join Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”) in the director’s office. Invitees to multiple branches will need to decide which branch they wish join.

Although a recent Oscar nomination does not guarantee an invitation, it can be a starting point to select artists and executives like Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Chapek who have made significant contributions in film.

Other invited guests include Carrie Coon (“The Nest”) Kingsley Ben-Adir (“One Night in Miami…”), Henry Golding (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Hugh Bonneville („Paddington 2”), Stephen Root (“Office Space”) Eiza Gonzalez (“Baby Driver”) and Jonathan Majors (“Da 5 Bloods”).

Among the invited directors are Lizzie Borden (“Born in Flames”) and George C. Wolfe (“Marainey’s Black Bottom”) and Janizca Bravo (“Zola”) and Shaka King (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) and Nia DaCosta (“Candyman”), Craig Brewer (“Hustle & Flow”) and Jonathan Glazer (“Under the Skin”).

The film academy continues to prioritize diversity and inclusion. It is also home to a large number of women and underrepresented groups. More than half of the invited are from other countries.

In an effort to “steady growth,” the number of invitees fell steeply this year. The Academy had previously invited classes of 800 or more members each year for the purpose of diversifying its ranks after the #OscarsSoWhite scandal. The Academy now has 33% of its membership made up of women and 19% from underrepresented groups.

The Academy stated that it is committed to expanding its lens in the coming years.