Arab filmmakers join Oscars Academy in latest membership expansion drive
Syrian and Palestinian directors among newly invited members shaping the future of global cinema
LOS ANGELES, USA (MNTV) — Syrian filmmaker Soudade Kaadan and Palestinian director Elia Suleiman are among several Arab and Middle Eastern creatives invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars.
The invitations are part of the Academy’s latest effort to expand and diversify its global membership, according to The National.
Kaadan is acclaimed for her Venice-winning film Nezouh, a surreal coming-of-age tale set in war-ravaged Damascus.
Her earlier work, The Day I Lost My Shadow (2018), also received honors at Venice and marked a rare Syrian entry in the festival’s lineup. Suleiman, known for Divine Intervention and It Must Be Heaven, is widely celebrated for his minimalist storytelling and satirical portrayals of Palestinian life under occupation.
This year’s invitation list includes 534 film professionals across disciplines, from directing and writing to editing and documentary production. Global names such as Ariana Grande, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, and Kieran Culkin also received invites.
Those who accept will gain voting rights in the Oscars and can join one of the Academy’s 18 branches.
More than half of the new invitees come from outside the U.S., continuing a push for broader representation following criticism over the Academy’s lack of diversity.
The #OscarsSoWhite controversy in 2015–2016 prompted structural changes to increase inclusion across race, gender, and geography.
Other Arab invitees include Maha Haj, Michel Khleifi, Rabab Haj Yahya, and Basel Adra, co-director of the award-winning documentary No Other Land. Moroccan director Asmae El Moudir, known for The Mother of All Lies, was also recognized.
Their inclusion reflects a growing global acknowledgment of Arab cinema’s depth and relevance on the international stage.
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