SOURCE: STEP FEED

BY: MARIAM NABBOUT

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently announced the latest members to join the Oscar’s voting committee, and several Arab stars made it to the list.

The 2019 list is more diverse than ever, with 842 new invitees originating from 59 countries. Fifty percent of those invited this year are women, marking a huge leap forward for females who work in the cinema industry.

For years, there has been a lack of representation when it comes to Arab artists invited to become official voters, but that seems to be slowly changing. As the film industry expands across the region, the talents of its actors, directors, and auteurs haven’t gone unnoticed; they are now making their mark on the international front.

The latest announcement comes at a time when the Academy is trying to diversify its voting committee after it was criticized under campaigns including #OscarsSoWhite.

In 2018, 12 artists from the Arab region were invited to join the committee, includingLebanese filmmakers Ziad Doueiri and Nadine Labaki. This year, 12 Arab actors, cinematographers, and directors joined the ranks after receiving an invite to join.

From the iconic Egyptian actress Yousra to the brilliant Lebanese cinematographer Christopher Aoun, here are the Arab stars who are now on the Academy’s list of voters:

The veteran Egyptian actress has long been hailed for both her film and television appearances in countries across the Arab world.

She is now a voter under the “Actors” category and was named alongside international celebrities including Lady Gaga and Letitia Wright.

Salama is a prominent Egyptian filmmaker, blogger, screenwriter, and author.

Last year, his film Sheikh Jackson made waves at both local and international film festivals.

Derki is a director, producer, and screenwriter who is behind the critically acclaimed documentary Of Fathers And Sons.

His feature was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Documentary category last year.

The film also won the Grand Jury Prize (World Documentary) at the Sundance Film Festival, the Silver Star at El Gouna International Film Festival, and many more prestigious awards.

Aoun is one of the most successful cinematographers in Lebanon and the region, and is known to have worked on several important films including Nadine Labaki’scritically acclaimed Capernaum.

Amari is one of the most prominent Tunisian filmmakers and writers of her generation.

She is known for her 2002 film Satin Rouge among several other features she directed.

Amer is an Egyptian producer and director who is best known for producing The Square, which is the first Kickstarter-funded documentary to be nominated for an Oscar.

Directed by Jihan Noujeim, the film was critically acclaimed following its release in 2013.

Al-Salami is the producer and director behind the 2014 feature I Am Nujoom, Age 10 and Divorced. 

Her film was the first-ever Yemeni work of art to be submitted to the Academy Awards and she has now become the first Yemeni to ever join the Award’s voting committee.

Baydoun is a Lebanese artist and production designer. He worked on Ziad Doueiri’s The Insult and Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum – two Lebanese films that were previously nominated for Academy Awards.

Hojeily is a talented Lebanese writer who’s best known for co-writing several films directed by Nadine Labaki, including Where Do We Go Now?, Caramel, and Capernaum.

Hefzy is an award-winning Egyptian screenwriter and producer who has worked on over 30 feature films both in Egypt and abroad.

In March 2018, Hefzy was selected to be the President of the 40th Cairo International Film Festival and is considered the youngest person to have ever been appointed to the post.

Schoucair is a Lebanese entrepreneur and film producer. He’s the CEO of Lebanese-based Abbout Productions as well as co-creator to many initiatives that have helped in the growth of Lebanese cinema.

Touzani is a Moroccan director and writer known for her feature Adam, nominated for the Un Certain Regard award in this year’s Cannes Film Festival.