The Academy Awards has increasingly come under scrutiny and criticism for a lack of gender and ethnic diversity, such as the #OscarsSoWhite social media backlash in 2015 and the #MeToo movement in 2017 that exposed rampant sexual misconduct harassment, and assault within screen industries.

Consequently, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has ramped up efforts to increase diversity among its ranks.

That has resulted in 928 new members being invited this year from 59 countries. Almost 50 percent of the invitees are female and just under 40 percent are people of colour.

Several Canadians were invited to join the Academy.

Vancouver filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming, who is of Chinese and Australian descent and is best known for her animated films The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam and Window Horses, was also invited.

Toronto-based actor Tantoo Cardinal, who is of Métis descent, has starred in films such as Dances With Wolves, Smoke Signals, Legends of the Fall, and Wind River, as well as TV series like CBC's North of 60 and APTN's Mohawk Girls.

Other Canadians invitees include: Manitoban auteur Guy Maddin, known for his surreal arthouse films such as The Forbidden Room and My Winnipeg; Toronto actor Alison Pill, who starred in films like Milk and Goon, as well as the TV series The Newsroom; and The Breadwinner screenwriter Anita Doron.

A full list of the invitees is available at the Academy website. If the invitees accept membership, they will join the Academy this autumn.