AMPAS Invites 115 to Become Members
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited115 artists and executives to join its ranks. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2007 to the Academy's roster of voting members.
In addition to Yair Landau, president of Sony Pictures Digital and vice chairman of Sony Pictures Ent., other invitees include:
Animators* Sharon Calahan* George Griffin* John Kahrs* Torill Kove* Marcy Page* Troy Saliba
Visual Effects* John Andrew Berton Jr.* Al DiSarro* Bryan Hirota* Alan E. Lorimer* Christopher Nibley* Douglas H. Smith* Ben Snow* Eric Swenson* Jon Thum
"These individuals are all exceptionally accomplished in their respective fields," said Academy president Sid Ganis. "We're looking forward to having them join the Academy's ranks."
The membership policies that the Academy adopted four years ago in order to slow the growth of the organization would have allowed a maximum of nearly 150 new members in 2007, but as in the previous three years, the various branch committees endorsed far fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members for four years.
"The numbers are stabilizing nicely," said Academy exec director Bruce Davis, "but at the same time some interesting changes are occurring. Like the recent lists of Oscar nominees, our last few membership invitation lists have been increasingly international."
New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception at the Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills in September.