Meet the Academy’s New Documentary Voters
The newest members of the Academy's Documentary Branch share what joining the institution means to them.
Do you ever wonder who’s to credit - or who’s to blame - for picking Oscar nominees? We set out to learn more about the newest potential voters.
In late June, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced its 487 new invitees for 2024. The list was noteworthy: if all those invited accept, the 10,910 total members will comprise 35% women, and 20% artists and executives from outside the US. The latter is reason to remain cautiously optimistic that the #OscarsSoWhite wasn't just a trending 2015 hashtag, but a catalyst and ongoing movement for inclusivity within the Academy. This year's list of 37 invitees in the Documentary Branch represents this push for greater diversity with roots ranging from Mumbai to Kampala.
Today, we bring you profiles of 12 of those figures, who share their singular journeys in documentary filmmaking and what joining AMPAS means to them. We hear from award-winning Indian filmmaker Hemal Trivedi (Among the Believers), Oscar-nominated Waad Al-Kateab (For Sama), and film/video/photography artist Sky Hopinka (Kicking the Clouds).
Brazilian documentary editor Flávia de Souza (Aftershock), French native Frédéric Tcheng (Invisible Beauty), and Mexico City-based Daniela Alatorre (Igualada) express excitement to build cultural and cinematic bridges with AMPAS.
UK-based Jeanie Finlay (Your Fat Friend) offers thoughts on continuing her mission to spotlight smaller stories with the support of the Academy, while filmmaker Moses Bwayo (Bobi Wine: The People’s President) recounts his journey as a filmmaker from Uganda to the US. Jennifer Tiexiera (Subject) and Elaine McMillion Sheldon (King Coal)reflect on their nontraditional paths to filmmaking careers. And Rachel Lears (Knock Down the House) and Trish Adlesic (The ABCs of Book Banning) speak to the Academy's power to champion artistic and activist endeavors.
Next week, we’ll be back with further profiles of new Doc Branch invitees.
If you enjoy the weekly dispatches of Doc Voices and the Pure Nonfiction podcast, please support us with a paid subscription. We have an Early Adopter Annual Subscription of just $50 that will give you access to exclusive content and our archives.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Doc Voices to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.