Three Cubans Invited to Be Members of the Hollywood Academy: Ana de Armas, Libia Batista, and Arturo Sandoval

July 2, 2020

The Film Academy of the United States includes Cuban casting director Libia Batista Mora, actress Ana de Armas, and musician Arturo Sandoval.

There are 819 members of the world film community who have received an invitation to join this exclusive Hollywood club.

Libia Batista Mora, who is a Casting Director in Cuba, shared the letter on her Facebook wall: «A warm welcome. We can't wait to congratulate you in person».

Of this year's invitees, 49% are not American, and among the 3 Cubans, Lidia has built her career in Cuba while Ana and Arturo have consolidated their careers in North American territory.

The news published by The Hollywood Reporter notes that 45% of those proposed are women and 36% are people of color, and that «it all stems from the Academy's concerted effort to diversify its membership, which began in earnest in 2016, following the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.»

The list includes actors, casting directors, costume designers, documentarians, executives, makeup artists, stylists and marketing specialists, public relations professionals, directors, musicians and producers, photographers, editors, visual effects specialists, writers, and many more.

Libia Batista has a career spanning more than 25 years dedicated to Casting Direction. Almost all Cuban productions, and to a large extent foreign ones, that bring prestige to national cinematography have passed through her hands, from Fresa y Chocolate by Tomas Gutiérrez Alea, to Juan de los muertos by Alejandro Brugues. However, it was the films Papa: Hemingway in Cuba by Bob Yari and Viva by Paddy Breathnach that secured her position in the Academy.

For her part, Ana de Armas continues to reap success with Knives Out and Blade Runner 2049, while Arturo Sandoval, with a long career as a jazz and classical performer, and equally in the film world, was highlighted by the Hollywood Academy for his roles in Richard Jewell and The Mule.

These three Cubans join the names of Awkwafina, Matthew Cherry, Yalitza Apalicio, Cynthia Erivo, Alma Har'el, Zendaya, Ryan Murphy, Eva Longoria, fifteen Oscar winners, 75 nominees for this award, and thirteen members of the team behind the film Parasite from South Korea, which in February became the first non-English language film to win the golden statue for Best Picture.

Previously, Jorge Perugorría (in 2016) and Edesio Alejandro (2017) were included on the prestigious list for their work on the films Fresa y Chocolate and Che by Steven Soderbergh; and Suite Habana and La Pared de las Palabras, respectively.