The Academy Elects Record Number Of Women To Board Of Governors

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has finally unveiled the names of people who have been included in the organization’s board of governors this year.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, filmmaker Ava DuVernay defeated incumbent Kimberley Peirce and others to become the head of the directors branch. This is the first time for DuVernay to win the election.

Meanwhile, the organization created a record in including a number of women and people of color on its board. The number of female Academy governors has increased from 25 to 26 while the people of color on the board increased from 11 to 12.

As soon as the news surfaced online, DuVernay took to Twitter and shared her excitement after becoming a first-time governor.

Apart from DuVernay, five more people have made their debut on the board. Debra Zane, Stephen Rivkin, Linda Flowers, Lynette Howell Taylor, and Rob Bredow have become governors for the first time in their professional careers.

Zane will be heading the casting directors branch while Rivkin will lead the branch of film editors. On the other hand, Flowers has been given the responsibility to take control of the makeup artists and hairstylists branch and Bredow will head the visual effects branch. Taylor has been chosen to head the branch of producers.

The changes in the board came almost a month after The Academy announced that it was revising the eligibility criteria for nominees in response to the ongoing pandemic. Films that were slated for a theatrical release and are available for streaming for the members of the Academy on the company’s members-only streaming service will be eligible for nomination at Hollywood’s biggest night.

Filmmakers would need to submit their entries within two months or within 60 days of being available on a streaming or VOD service.

Here is the full list of people who have become part of the board of governors:

First-Time Governors

Ava DuVernay (Directors Branch)
Lynette Howell Taylor (Producers Branch)
Rob Bredow (Visual Effects Branch)
Debra Zane (Casting Directors Branch)
Stephen Rivkin (Film Editors Branch)
Lynette Howell Taylor (Producers Branch)

Incumbent governors:

Whoopi Goldberg (Actors Branch)
Larry Karaszewski (Writers Branch)
Kate Amend (Documentary Branch)
Mandy Walker (Cinematographers Branch)
Charles Bernstein (Music Branch)
Isis Mussenden (Costume Designers Branch)
Teri E. Dorman (Sound Branch)
Christina Kounelias (Marketing and Public Relations Branch)
David Linde (Executives Branch)
Wynn P. Thomas (Production Design Branch)