Kiwis Cliff Curtis and Taika Waititi have joined several Australians in being invited to join one of the world's most illustrious clubs.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organises film's Oscars, says it is recruiting a record 683 new members to try to diversify its largely male and white membership.
A furore erupted in January this year when the academy announced its nominees for February's awards ceremony and for the second straight year black actors were snubbed.
All 20 acting nominees this year were white - for a second consecutive year - prompting criticism, with the online hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.
Oscars host Chris Rock, who is black, provided biting commentary during the awards show, which was boycotted by director Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith.
The organisation responded by announcing a sweeping affirmative action programme, pledging to double female and minority membership by 2020.
It went global in its new search, including 283 international invitees, of whom at least 13 were Australians, plus Kiwis Curtis and Waititi.
The Australian contingent includes Lachlan and James Murdoch, actress Rose Byrne, horror film director James Wan and the large contingent of Australian crew members who won Oscars this year for their work on George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road.
The academy's membership is 90 percent white and 75 percent male.
Of the 683 new invitees, 46 percent are female and 41 percent are people of colour.
With the addition of the new members being invited, the academy's female membership will rise from 25 percent to 27 percent and for people of colour from eight percent to 11 percent.
"We're proud to welcome these new members to the academy, and know they view this as an opportunity and not just an invitation, a mission and not just a membership," academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs said.
Other new members include actors Idris Elba, America Ferrera, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Eva Mendes, Regina King, Marlon Wayans and this year's Best Actress Oscar winner Brie Larson.
- additional reporting Reuters
