Director Mstyslav Chernov has been invited to join the American Film Academy

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended invitations to 487 professionals from the film industry, encompassing directors, actors, costume designers, and casting directors. Notably among them is Ukrainian filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov, as announced on the Academy's official website.

This year's invitees include 71 individuals who have been nominated for Oscars over the years, with 19 of them having secured victories in various categories.

Accepting this invitation grants these industry figures the privilege to participate in voting for the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony. According to the Academy's latest update, if all the invited members accept their invitations in 2024, the voting body for the 2025 Oscars will expand to a robust 9,934 members.

In addition to Chernov, other notable invitees include actresses Lily Gladstone ("Killers of the Flower Moon") and Catherine O'Hara ("Home Alone"), director Justin Triet ("Anatomie d'une chute"), lead actress Sandra Hüller, and director Celine Song.

At the Oscars 2024 ceremony, Mstyslav Chernov won the statuette in the category of Best Documentary Feature for "20 Days in Mariupol."

"20 Days in Mariupol" recounts the Russian attack on the city on February 24, 2022, documenting the bombing of residential neighborhoods and a maternity hospital, as well as the stories of people living and working under the city's blockade. The film highlights Chernov's journey alongside colleagues, photographer Yevhen Maloletka and journalist Vasiliisa Stepanenko, as they managed to escape the besieged city surrounded by Russian forces.