July 5, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Leslie Unger - (310) 247-3000
                        lunger@oscars.org
      

Academy Invites 120
to Membership

Beverly Hills, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended membership invitations to 120 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves in the field of theatrical motion pictures. The group will be the only new voting members invited to join the organization in 2006.

“Two years ago the Academy decided to slow membership growth, and to become even more selective in choosing members,” said Academy President Sid Ganis. “Instead of inviting every proposed person who has achieved the minimum qualifications for his or her branch, the membership committees are selecting the most exceptionally qualified names from those lists.”

Procedures instituted two years ago allow the organization to fill vacancies resulting from death and transitions to retired (non-voting) status and grow by a maximum of 30 new members annually.

Candidates for Academy membership are considered by committees made up of prominent representatives of each of the organization’s 14 branches — art directors, executives, film editors, etc. Candidates can either be proposed by the committees or by two current members of their branch. In addition, individuals nominated for Academy Awards®, if not already members of the organization, are considered by the appropriate committees, though not necessarily invited to membership. This year, 39 of the invitees were 2005 nominees and eight won Oscars®.

Though the great majority of AMPAS members are based in the U.S., membership is open to qualified filmmakers around the world. The Academy roster currently includes theatrical motion picture makers from 36 countries.

New members will be welcomed into the organization at an invitation-only reception on Wednesday, September 20, at the Academy’s Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills.

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Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
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(310) 247-3000
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