Ukrainian Oscar-winning director invited to join American Motion Picture Academy

Mstyslav Chernov has been invited to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Photo: instagram.com/mstyslav.chernov)

Who made the list of invitees

In total, the Academy invited 487 artists, including actors, directors, costume designers, heads of film festivals, and other representatives from various cultural backgrounds. Those who accept the invitation will be able to participate in voting for the winners of the next Oscars.

"We are thrilled to welcome this year’s class of new members to the Academy. These remarkably talented artists and professionals from around the world have made a significant impact on our filmmaking community," commented Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang.

Additionally, another Ukrainian filmmaker, Serhii Loznytsia, was invited to the Documentary category. In March 2022, he left the Ukrainian Film Academy because his works were included in the program of the Russian film festival From Lviv to the Urals.

In May of the same year, during his speech at the Cannes Film Festival, he condemned the boycott of Russian culture during the full-scale war in Ukraine.

Serhii Loznytsia (Photo: facebook.com/uafilmacademy)

Among the invitees are 71 Oscar nominees, including 19 winners. This list also includes names like Jessica Alba (Machete, Sin City), Sandra Hüller (In the Aisles, A Most Wanted Man), Lily Gladstone (Certain Women), directors Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) and Justine Triet (In the Aisles, Sibyl), and others.

Currently, the organization comprises approximately 10,000 of the most successful representatives in this industry.

What is known about the film 20 Days in Mariupol

Mstyslav Chernov is the author of the documentary film 20 Days in Mariupol, which details the Russian occupation of the city in February-March 2022. He collaborated on the film with photojournalist Yevhen Maloletka and producer Vasilisa Stepanenko.

The team of the Oscar-winning film 20 Days in Mariupol (Photo: instagram.com/mstyslav.chernov)

20 Days in Mariupol won Ukraine's first Oscar in the category of Best Feature Documentary. The film also received a BAFTA Award in the same category, was nominated for Best International Feature Film, and won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary.

Overall, this Oscar-winning film has garnered over 20 awards and received around 40 nominations. It was screened at the United Nations General Assembly meeting last September and became the highest-grossing Ukrainian documentary film.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) was founded in May 1927 as an organization of film professionals. Its primary mission is to promote filmmaking.

This academy is the organizer of the Oscars, which have been awarded annually for the past 96 years. The winners are determined by voting among the academy members.