Assam: Filmmaker Rima Das invited to join The Academy for the Oscars 2024

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: In rejoicing news for Assam and film buffs in the state, noted National Award winning filmmaker Rima Das is going to join the Academy Awards 2024 as a member in the director category. She will now have a hand in selecting the recipients of the Oscars for 2024.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States presents the Academy Awards of Merit, commonly known as the Oscars or Academy Awards.

Rima is set to join this august society of personalities, who are associated with films, from around the world.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in a message from Los Angeles, California, USA, confirmed Rima's invitation as a member of The Academy. Rima's association with the Academy began when her movie 'Village Rockstars' was selected as India's official entry to Oscar 2019.

Rima has come a long way from her roots in a remote village near Chhaygaon in the Kamrup district. Rima came into the international spotlight with her film 'Village Rockstars', which was shot in her native village with characters from real life and played by non-actors from the village itself. It was invited to several festivals around the world and became a turning point for Rima after it bagged several awards at renowned film festivals. It was, ultimately, selected as India's official entry to Oscar 2019, capping the success story of the emerging filmmaker. After that came 'Bulbul Can Sing' that also got invitation to several international film festivals and won a few awards. Her latest film, 'Tora's Husband', is based on a character that makes it through the COVID pandemic.

This year, the Academy invited 487 new members, who are artistes and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to motion pictures. The invitees are from 68 countries, with 46 percent of the new members being women and 41 percent coming from underrepresented ethnic or racial groups. 56 percent are from countries and territories outside the US, and Rima is one of them, from Assam in the northeast of India.

An ecstatic Rima Das took to social media platforms to say, "It's an honour to become a member of The Academy. Thank you for this opportunity. Excited to celebrate the power and magic of cinema. Congrats to my fellow members..."

In a press communiqué, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said, "We are thrilled to welcome this year's class of new members to the Academy. These remarkably talented artistes and professionals from around the world have made a significant impact on our filmmaking community."

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States presents The Academy Awards of Merit, commonly known as the Oscars or Academy Awards. They are awards for artistic and technical merit in the film industry. They are presented annually in recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academy's voting membership. The Oscars are widely considered to be the most prestigious awards in the film industry.

 Rima is the first film director from Assam to have been invited to the Academy.

Also Read: Stories come knocking, characters start whispering to me’: Filmmaker Rima Das (sentinelassam.com)

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