The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced the creation of the Casting Directors Branch. Casting directors began to be invited to Academy membership more than 30 years ago, many of them admitted as Members-at-Large.

The decision was approved at the regularly scheduled board meeting on Tuesday, July 30.

“Casting directors play an essential role in the filmmaking process,” Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said. “Their inclusion on our board will only broaden our perspective and help ensure that the Academy continues to accurately reflect the state of filmmaking today.”

The Casting Directors Branch brings the Academy to 17 branches, with three members representing each branch on the Board of Governors. The Academy will hold special elections this fall to select the three governors of the newest branch.

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The world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards–in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners-the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.